Unbound
by Mach56
Summary: It has been a cruel, cold world ever since Jaune has lost his partner. Under a starlit sky, he once again tries to reason with his sorrow... and everything changes. Reviews welcomed!
1. An Answer

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Part One: An Answer

* * *

Guilt. Survivor guilt, a torn up psychology book taught him. It hounded him eternally.

Sure, weeks, even months would pass. The routine of survival and hunting blinding him and forcing him to not think.

But in the days of rest, the nights of solitude, the inescapable feeling welled up from his soul, gushing out from his core and making everything feel so wrong. His mind wandered, his reason waned.

It was one such night.

* * *

The stars hung low in orbit, silently watching in somber, guilt-ridden audience as the blond-haired sauntered away from the campsite, up away from his compatriots and up down the creek. Remorseful, the wind whimpered and lessened, unwilling to cut his skin or bite his eyes with the intensity of winter. The man climbed the hill, a good distance away from his friends now, knowing of the Grimm aura that exuded from his being. If they would come, his friends would be safe. The world silently watched, listening, as Jaune Arc composed himself underneath the dead husk of a tree, looking out into the world.

* * *

Jaune played with the hilt of his sword, trying to mutter away the pain, trying to make sense of the agony, trying to find order in the tumult. Mutter away, let it all bleed out. It had to run out soon, it had to.

"I… I've been doing good." He stated as he began a new train of thought, hoping to move onto talking about his journey, about what he's been doing, where he's been. To talk about the now. But something was wrong.

 _Lies._

"I've been doing better," he corrected quietly.

 _And someday you'll do worse_ , the truth responded gravely.

"I just…"

 _You're chasing clouds again._

He knew that. As much as he desperately wanted to avoid this, he could feel the hurt form into words. He hated this and he hated where it would lead, but he had to chase it. He couldn't help himself, he wanted to believe.

"I just wish I had known. I- I wish I had said the right words back then…"

Jaune scratched at the cloth at his sword, trying to explain himself.

"Begging her? Why had I thought she would listen if I begged. I should've, I should have realized she wasn't listening. I should have yelled. Roared. Like, like..."

"PYRRHA!" Jaune almost shouted, acting out his fantasy as his hands suddenly tightening into claws, pretending to grasp her by the shoulders, refusing to let go. "LOOK AT ME. "

The catharsis was so blissful, so momentary. The vigor died and then he returned to subdued despair.

"Then, then she would have listened, or at least stopped. Then we would have time. I could have figured out what the hell was going on."

He shook his head, knowing something else was wrong, still trying to avoid the holes in his theories.

"What was going on. And then I would know. And then I would tell her how it is. I would take it all back. The destiny, all of that…"

He looked up, imaging her standing there, trying to make sense out the fantasy. He reached out his hand to her, and attempted to prove that it would have worked:

"Pyrrha, your destiny isn't there. I… I know you think it might… Destiny, it's not…"

 _You're losing it. It wouldn't work._

Jaune felt frantic now, arguing with himself. His heart put up a valiant fight:

"No. No it would work. I could have talked her down if I just grabbed her and shouted. She would…"

 _You wouldn't have talked her down. You know this._

Jaune Arc bowed his head, suddenly pained by the same, same painful realization. Logic had triumphed.

No matter how many times he played the moments over his head, speaking to her, hearing her voice over and over… over and over tasting her breath and her heart, over and over staring into her eyes, those brave, brave and beautiful eyes, right before she pushed him away.

 _Pushed me away._

Jaune seized the thought, and let out a complaint.

"Why didn't… why didn't you just tell me to go. Why'd you have to do that, Pyrrh-"

 _She knew you'd follow._

"But… but what if she hadn't…"

 _She wouldn't have._

Jaune swallowed, the Grimm thoughts pulsing in his heart.

"But why?"

 _Why._

Jaune looked out. Looked out to the dark horizon, looked out to the sky, to the broken moon, to the skeleton trees, the shattered hills, to the icey mired seas. Searching for her. Seeing her everywhere he looked now.

"Why, Pyrrha?"

 _Yes, why._

"Why… Why did you push me away… How could you? After not telling me, after knowing how much I wanted to help…"

 _Exactly. **Why**._

"I would have given you so many reasons, so many excuses to walk away. You could have just walked away, Pyrrha."

 _But it would have never happened._

"No. It… it could have… have happened."

 _But she didn't do it, Jaune._

"NO. No." Jaune suddenly gasped, unwilling to revisit the truth and return to reality. But it was true. None of his dreams would have worked. All of these alternate paths, the coulds, the woulds, the shoulds, all suddenly crumbled in front of him as his dreams and aspirations, his hopes, were crumbling…

The only thing left was agony and his voice. He had given up trying to make sense. He leaned against the hollow tree and sobbed.

"I hurt so much. I hurt so, so much. You… Do you see me, Pyrrha? You see this? I'm a fucking mess."

The stars seemed to freeze and look away.

"I hate myself. I hate this… all of it. I hate what came to be. Everything was so good, a dream... and… and then it all went to fucking hell."

The wind choked and trembled, trying to pass Jaune by as quickly as possible.

The man ran off a furious stream of expletives, standing up and pacing, ranting and cursing himself, everything around him, except for the sadness that stained him so.

"You just ran off chasing what?! What? I don't know. Destiny? You were talking about destiny… what sort of destiny was that? Why would you want that?"

 _She asked you._

"Yes. You asked me. You know what I would… _what_ I should have said? I should have said destiny is shit. I cheated destiny... We. We cheated destiny. I was a fucking tenderfoot, slipping into Beacon like a god-damn loon and I made it work. I spat destiny in the face."

He seized this train of thought, the grief and pain fading away to indignation and conviction.

" **I couldn't manifest a god-damn aura. I couldn't!** You thought I didn't know about it… I lied. I pretended to be stupid. I... I just couldn't do it. I wasn't some sort of dorky idiot who stumbled into you. I was a coward and a rebel. I avoided destiny as best I could. And it worked out. It would have worked for you too."

"I should… I should have _told her_."

 _But she pushed you away._

Jaune winced, hurt by the realization.

"Yeah. You pushed me away."

It kept coming back to that same moment. To how calmly she was as she punched in the coordinates to the locker, looking him straight in the eyes. Brave and beautiful.

" **How could you be so brave?** " Jaune whined, wincing as the hurt took deeper hold, "How could you look at me like that as I screamed at you, pleading. How. **_How_**. **_You loved me. I loved you._** "

 _Brave for you._

" _ **No**_. Brave for yourself. You selfish, selfish, selfish bitch!" Jaune hissed as he began to pace once more, driven by fury, "You just pushed me away. You loved me, you _**pushed me away**_. You couldn't even fucking honor me with a damn explanation or anything. All you did… all you did was apologize."

You didn't need to do that.

"You didn't need to do that." Jaune repeated in his frenzy while grasping his sword hilt, "Anything but that. ANYTHING. You could have told me to give up, that there was nothing I could do. You could have lied to me and saved me the pain. It wasn't your fault. It wasn't you. What are you apologizing for? I wanted an answer! AN ANSWER!"

 _Instead..._

"Instead, I'm just _standing here_ , trying to figure out what went wrong. What I could have done right... Or was it that I didn't love you enough, that I wasn't quick enough to realize, to try and build something? _**At times I wonder if it was just that you didn't fucking love me!**_ What were you sorry about? Was it me? Was it you?"

And with that, Jaune fell silent. His heart and body tensed, bracing for an answer, for something divine to answer him.

Nothing.

…

Nothing.

"What was it?"

The silence wore on. Jaune felt the strength drain in the absence of an answer, shoulders sagging and a visceral pain in his chest. He knelt up on the top of the hill, trying to staunch the torment of confusion.

"Please."

Nothing.

The divine would not answer him. His questions, his diatribes, no matter how eloquent, how truthful...

Useless. What did he expect?

"I… I'm hurting."

Looking for pity got him nothing. There was no heart in this world. No soul.

He fell silent, succumbing to the suffering.

"Pyrrha, you mean so much to me. You… You were more than just amazing. You were the one gave me everything and you just…"

Yes, the tears were running down his face now, their fleeting warmth turning into the most painful blisters and cuts on his cheeks. He wiped them away and they leaked back out.

"I love you. Still do. Why, why…"

 _Why did you let me love you. Why couldn't you keep it to yourself. Why couldn't you just reject me. Why do I have to feel this way._

"Why do I have to love you?"

Jaune just wanted an answer, and this was his last, desperate attempt for one. This entire time... He just wanted her to tell him something. Anything. Her voice, her assurance. The only thing that ever gave him solace in his life, confidence, belief, conviction. He ranted and drove himself mad just for the dream of hearing her voice...

He looked out through tear-stained pupils, out to see any Nevermore or Ursai approaching, he could see and feel the glow of his aura then, a strange, sorrowful hum as it reached out into the world, an extension of his soul... Searching, begging, looking…

The crying had dulled his mind and it hurt, it hurt and everything seemed to echo with her voice. She was apologizing, she was explaining herself, she was comforting him. But he all knew they were dreams, lies, fallacies. All his own machinations, not one genuine word.

In that moment, Jaune gave up. Like thousands of moments beforehand, he gave up trying to reason, gave up trying to find peace, to draw reason from his sorrow, his life. The only thing he could say was the truth, and it came out of his voice cracked, quivering, and weak.

"I love you. I… _miss_ you. So… so... so much."

He turned back, leaving to the campfire, to restless sleep, to a life without closure. Without her.

"As do I..." The stars whispered, breaking their vigil.

Jaune halted and looked up at them, for a moment.

"As do I... " Sighed the wind, unable to hold back.

Jaune caught his breath. A fallacy, a dream...

"As do I, Jaune." Pyrrha Nikos murmured, somber and tender, finding comfort in the embrace of their two souls, entwined in eternity.

* * *

End Chapter 1


	2. Anthem

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Part 2: Anthem

* * *

Author's Note: Hey all! This part of the story was inspired in part by _The Rose by Bette Midler._ I'd advise you to give the song a try as you listen to the latter half of this story, to understand the emotion and color to the scenes. I'd never thought I'd be one to incorporate Song lyrics, but I think there is some weight to these words.

* * *

"The Grimm around here are getting pretty irritating, but they're nowhere near as bad as the route to Atlas. You gotta trust me on this, you're chasing a fool's dream. You should just be happy you survived your shipwreck."

"I know dreams, sir, and I can tell that this one, this one has some good odds."

The bartender sighed with a weary smile, his hands up in the air.

"Alright, alright. Crossing Mantle, on foot, by taking the High Road, one of the most dangerous journeys known on Remnant, all done by one man."

Jaune shrugged, as he drank from the dirty water provided to him. Tasted rusty.

"I need to get back, not much of a choice."

"Just… Kid, listen," the man said solemnly, leaning over in a fatherly way, "You… You gotta remember that the Grimm aren't going to kill you… Unless they do. But the real danger: Once you break ten thousand feet, it's the cold, it's the lack of anything. You gotta kill as much as you can in the first leg of the journey stock as much as you can to make it across the plateau."

"I'll be sure to do that."

"Gods, this is a journey for 10. Has the world gotten that dark?"

Jaune laughed bitterly, surprised at the man's innocence: The naivety. How ironic.

"Surprised you didn't hear of it, even if you are just a little shipping port."

"Not many ships came the last years, kid. The ice grew too thick. You told us everything we know."

Jaune finished his drink and looked out into nothing. Even more cruel coincidence.

"Ain't that laugh."

He rose and shook hands with the man.

"I'll pass on a message to the Atlas council. It's a stroke of luck you guys haven't had any Grimm, but now… Now I think you better think of leaving for the protection of the safe zones. It'll take me a month or two to get there, but I'm sure you guys can hold out."

"We have hope." The man replied.

Jaune smiled his same old subdued smile. The one he had gotten used to after all of these years.

"Yes. Hope. Of course… Could I just ask for one thing?"

* * *

"Pyrrha… do you hear me?"

Jaune laughed after realizing what he had said, shrugging, kicking back and letting his one strong arm grip the fishing pole. Calling out to her was a reflex now, as she had become his muse, his secret confidant... Even if she never responded.

 _That's not true._ Jaune thought, _Our souls. My aura and hers. We are unbound by death._

He was convinced she was still with him. He had felt her embrace many times before, intangible and almost unrecognizable in the heat of the moment. But the warmth was unmistakable. He lived for those passing moments of comfort, amiss a sea of loss.

"So there's this pretty sob song that this guy was playing on a record player back at that Penal Colony, or fishing port, whatever they had going on there. Playing it on a record player, can you believe it? _Old tech_! Like the one your mom has."

No response.

"Well. It helps. It gives me hope. The saddest sort of hope, you know? Managed to get it on my scroll, so it's gonna be my anthem over this stupid trip. Still freaking pissed at that god-damn kraken Grimm, attacking our convoy, but hey if it helps these squatters then I guess it's worth the bother..."

The rod quivered and jerked, a trout falling for the bait. Jaune grinned and pulled back, only for an empty hook to land in front of his feet.

"Rats. Gonna take a bit. Well, no time like the present, huh? Have a listen…"

He put it on play, and let his heart wander as he waited for the next chance...

 _Some say love, it is a river…_

 _That drowns the tender reed..._

* * *

 _Some say love, it is a razor…_

 _That leaves your soul to bleed._

The longer into the journey, the more the stubble on his chin became a badge of maturity. It disturbed him slightly, but it also made him laugh. Like father like son... How terrifying.

"And this razor is dull as hell." He grumbled, tossing away an age-old, commercially manufactured blade. It was from a different era. Of peace and prosperity: A bygone dream.

"They don't make them like they used to, you know?" He chuckled half-heartedly, "Might be better off with Mors, don'tcha think?"

Silence was the answer.

* * *

 _Some say love, it is a hunger…_

 _an endless, aching need._

The river was gone now, as he worked his way further up into the alpine mountains. He sat beneath a frost-tinged tree, rummaging through his pack. First, he checked his location. He was making due time, but he was almost through with the provisions from the safe port.

"Time to stock up, I suppose. Can't believe I'm going to be using a bow and arrow..." Jaune announced to the world, perking up and expecting an answer.

When there was no response, he tried again, feeling half-hearted.

"C'mon, Pyrrha. Talk to me. Don't make me look like a crazy person."

Still nothing.

"Okay, okay, _that_ was pretty crazy." Jaune relented, talking to himself, rubbing his forehead and making sure he was ok. His core hurt from the walking, the lack of food, the solitude.

* * *

 _It's the heart, afraid of breaking_

 _That never learns to dance_

Archery was not Jaune's forte. It left a bitter taste in his mouth, actually. He spent a good couple days honing his skills, taking his time to find animal trails and securing safe shelters. Splinters marked his fingers as he crafted his own bolts to add to the collection. Such a shame, that there was no dust he could use for ammunition...

* * *

 _It's the dream, afraid of waking_

 _That never takes the chance_

Jaune had never hunted, not once in his life. His family had some history with that, but only deep in the past, and so he only heard tales, not truths. So: he learned what he could from books, and in this moment, all of his practice led to this moment.

The elk had paused momentarily, unaware of the danger. Jaune took that second as his opportunity and let fly, without any hesitation.

* * *

 _It's the one that won't be taken_

 _That cannot seem to give_

Skinning was an entirely different beast altogether: Jaune had no idea how it worked. So he just clumsily cut what he could, chunks of red meat to heat up by the fire. The wolf-packs and the clamor of the Grimm howled out in the night, sometimes denying Jaune the luxury of cooked food (The growing snow served as an ample washcloth, saving him from looking like a blood-caked monster).

Once, a stray beast had the bravery, or desperation, to approach Jaune as he worked. Was it three weeks in? A month? Jaune had forgotten. But he let the animal have the rest of the kill, taking pity on its thin frame.

He was getting pretty proficient at archery.

* * *

 _And the soul…_

 _Afraid of dying…_

 _That never learns to live._

The treeline stood out to him like wall of spines and frosted spikes. It was the last hurdle before reaching the plateau. The darkest challenge. The weeks leading up to him was child's play compared the coming battle ahead.

They smelled the blood and grief on him, the meat stored on his backpack. The could sense the Grimm thoughts.

Jaune almost fell backwards as he saw the red flares flutter out from the darkness, blocking his path with a semicircle. Ready to charge at a moment's hesitation.

Jaune let his pack go. Drawing his sword, bringing forth his shield. Shivering from absolute terror. Eyes darting at the lethal horrors.

 _Beowolves, definitely. Possibly Alphas… Maybe an Ursai major…. King Taiju? Is that a King Taiju?_

"Gods, this is…" He began, doubtful before pushing the thoughts out of his head.

"Watch me, ok?" He growled, drowning out the fear for her. He would show her something that would make her happy. He would triumph.

His sword hand stopped trembling. His aura surged forth as a hollow ring sprung out to meet the monsters head on. And so the darkness charged forth to consume him.

* * *

 _And the night has been too lonely_

* * *

The plateau was desolate, so he continued to listen to that bartender's song, the one that played after every 30 minutes or so in that run down shack the fishermen called a tavern.

The broken moon shone over the landscape, just emerging from the dark clouds of storm and suffering. He stood in one of the moonbeams, as if bathed in a spotlight, as the rays of cold light expanded over the dark world. The wind sharp and sadistic, sometimes almost toppling him over in its sudden, schizophrenic changes in direction. But he payed little attention, instead carefully moving forward, cautious enough to favor his uninjured leg. All the while his aura bravely standing strong against the chill of the world, though unable to push it all away. He quietly muttered, fighting the chattering of his teeth.

"Well, t-this is dumb."

* * *

 _And road has been too long_

* * *

He reached an outlook, just to catch some breath. From there, he could see the picturesque, morose beauty of the Mantle landscape, all of the alpine trees stretching out into the dark black ocean. Following the coastline, he could see Atlas's lights, Atlas's smoke and fire in the distance, fighting for survival against the cruel dark. He was close. They- Ren, Nora, Team RWBY… They were waiting for him there. Everyone was.

The wind took of his headgear, and he just barely snagged it with his left hand, shielding his eyes from the cutting air with his right.

He looked back, following the wind's direction. Back across the desolate landscape he had emerged from, and then to road ahead. It seemed like miles. A world of snow and darkness, a beauty that seemed so breathless for the strangest reason…

The wind ceased.

"Look."

* * *

 _And you think that love is only... for the lucky… and the strong._

* * *

Aurora Borealis. The Northern Lights.

Had they just started? He couldn't believe he hadn't seen it. He hadn't ever seen it before.

Aurora Borealis. The Aura of Remnant.

It reached out, flickering, its various colors reflecting across the white and black canvass of the world. All of the most brilliant hues of red, gold, green. All too familiar.

"Is that you, Pyrrha?" Jaune chuckled, his throat raw and dry from the dry ice air, staring out at the beauty. He had a certain rage of disbelief and fury towards the world then, taunting him with her memory, as he stood frozen in the darkness. But as it wore on, he understood.

It was JNPR, it was RWBY. It was every friend they had made together, every memory that they wove in their partnership. It was him and it was her.

He looked away. He had to: the beauty was too much. Much too much... he was going to start getting sentimental. It was just coincidence. Just coincidence. A cruel prank of the world.

But even so, despite everything, he felt a kindling within him. A fire. A comfort for the road ahead. From what it came from, he did not know. But did it matter?

It gave him life. Love. Hope. He found himself watching the light, etching it into memory, and despite the silence, despite his seemingly singular existence, he realized he was not alone.

He put on his headgear and moved forward, against the wind, cutting his own path through the snow covered landscape.

* * *

 _Just remember, in the winter_

 _Far beneath the winter snow_

 _Lies the seed that with the sun's love_

 _In the spring, becomes the rose...-_

"Fucking done with that song. 432 plays. That's listening like 10 times a day!" Jaune roared out in laughter, as he pressed the stop button on his scroll. He tore out the earbuds as he marched down the slope, down from the bleak plateaus of Mantle and straight towards the famous domain of Atlas. He could smell the smoke now, even though he was still almost a day away. A depressing thought, but not affecting him in the slightest. But the worst had passed and he had made it. All he had to do was not die to whatever was tearing at the walls of the city.

"I mean, it was a good song for that while. Just not listening to that for a bit… a year, maybe... no thank you!" He grumbled, happy to actually hear his own voice again. He hadn't spoken much over the journey and this looseness made him giddy. Giddy with the promise of Ruby's high-octane jests, Yang's confident drawl… Everyone! _Everyone_! Gods... the stories they would share! Just to hear their voices, he would run the rest of the way.

After seeing the color streak the sky during that cold twilight, every step forward seemed to make him stronger.

He was running high with all of the hope. His wounds- healed. His fears and anxieties and regrets- gone. All of the Grimm thoughts blissfully absent from his system.

Talking out to the world, talking out to her, didn't even hurt him as it used to.

"Hoped you liked it regardless. I mean, that is basically us I think. Or… Maybe not. But, hell, I relate to it. I'm not strong or lucky, am I? Heh... But I still got it. Love. And I'll take it wherever I want."

He skipped over another boulder, adrenaline making him feel youthful, invincible. In his rashness, he almost missed her.

"It's wonderful, Jaune. I think it's perfect."

There was no sorrow in Jaune, as he smiled and responded to her, vindicated.

"I'm glad."

* * *

End Part 2


	3. Terrifying Clarity

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Part 3: Terrifying Clarity

* * *

Weiss was the last of the Schnee line.

A terrible, bone-chilling sentence to comprehend. Could you believe it? Being the last one to carry your name? Your emblem, the only proof of your bloodline?

Ren and Nora knew, although only Nora was able to attend to Weiss's grief. Ren had a shattered shoulder, crushed during his triumph over the Alpha DeathStalker 6 hours prior. It was good that Nora was there, so that at least one of Weiss's friends could truly relate with her, stand behind her and patiently listen to her emotionless, simple thoughts. Ruby was there, as well as Yang and Blake. They had deep bonds that transcended their injuries, and their pain.

Jaune stood watch over them, only a couple feet away, distant. He didn't feel like he belonged with them and their grief, a selfish attempt to keep his mind from sad, sad things.

The students of the clandestine Beacon Academy stood on top of the Atlesian skyscraper and gazed out at the daytime snowfall as it mixed into the ashes of the city. Atlas was overrun, but the safe-zone would hold long enough for the evacuation to proceed. People would be saved. A victorious battle.

 _But at what cost._ He muttered quietly to himself, looking down at the smoke stained Huntresses. It had been 3 days since she had actually lost her sister. This was the one moment of rest team RWBY had the liberty of taking after Winter Schnee grappled with the Dragon Grimm. Even this one moment of solace would be robbed from them soon enough. Much too soon.

They would have to get to work. They would have to hunt, kill and survive. The safe-zone must be held. They all knew this.

"... you don't have to hide it. We've all lost so much, Weiss. Ask any of us. Ask Jaune." Yang shrugged, bringing Jaune into the discussion with a wave of her bionic arm. Jaune could see the corrosion and wear on the metallic limb, gashes, cuts and stuck pieces riddling her prosthetic. She had already gone through three of those high grade metals, but the way the blond-haired juggernaut used her semblance on the battlefield, with such dark ambition, he knew she would double the count soon enough.

He didn't really like this: Weiss didn't even look at him, only moved slightly so that she could see his foot out of the corner of her eye. Blake didn't even react, while Ruby and Nora looked at him tentatively.

He really, really didn't like the look in their eyes. All he could do was shake his head. He had thought of a thousand things to say to the ash-haired Glyph-user, attempts to ease her grief, but there was nothing he could think of that was sure to help.

He let his eyes flicker down to his shoes, to where Weiss was looking. God, they were a wreck: The same shoes he had worn on his trek across Mantle. They were made for hiking, not battle, and it showed. Torn up and on their last legs… What a horrible, cruel pun.

Jaune did not want to cheapen her pain.

"You... you lost your sister. Your only sister. I could never imagine that. If that were to happen to my family…"

"I'm talking about Pyrrha." Yang responded, a little anger or irritation at him tinting her eyes red, as if accusing him of forgetting.

Jaune took some offense to the judgement in Yang's eyes, but he could not blame the fiery girl for her emotions. But still, why did she want to drag him deeper down into the grief? It wasn't like he was unscathed by all of this, above all of this. He just didn't want to feel this grief anymore. He had been through enough of it.

What should he say?

 _You can't get it wrong if it's the truth._ She had once told him.

"...There is nothing like the first week." Jaune stated quietly, "And nothing like the next week... a completely different sort of... hell. It just changes..."

Jaune knew it was rude to look away and he didn't, but seeing Weiss turn her head to look at him with somber curiosity was making it hard.

"...Until it changes for the better." He finished.

Weiss blinked.

"How is your family?"

Jaune felt his hand rest on his sword's hilt, thinking and a bit surprised by the strange question. It brought up some dark, angry thoughts.

"No idea. Hell, they could be dead for all I know... Heh, wouldn't that... be a laugh... Then we'd be a real band of orphans."

"Not funny, Jaune." Nora interrupted quietly, her face just different hues of sadness, no anger or fight in them.

"You know I didn't mean it. I'm hurting. We lose more every day and it's hard." Jaune growled back, defensive and angered to think that Nora, of all people, would doubt him. Or was he just angry at himself?

"Got Emerald though." Blake countered in a sickeningly cool, bitter way, "We've saved thousands."

"That obviously doesn't help matters, though." Jaune shrugged sadly, "I don't know what I can say. Sometimes answers, solutions, don't come when you need them the most."

They paused and stomached those words.

"Jaune's right," Ruby announced, finally making her way into the conversation, "Sometimes things… happen. And in time, we will find what we're looking for. Together. But Weiss..."

Jaune looked away at that point, blocking out Ruby's wise words. It was humiliating, really. Ruby had gotten over the passing of her uncle so valiantly... They _all_ had lost so much, each and every one of them. And yet they were so strong, resilient. So much stronger than him. Weiss was already rubbing her eyes as Ruby held her other hand, standing up as partners.

They could all lose much, much more. Jaune thought of his mother, a small seed of terror worming into his throat. He had thought the torment had ended, in that blissful snow-blurred night by the cliff, and now it just pulled him back in.

 _Fuck._

He didn't want to think about it. He needed to fight. Fight and forget.

* * *

Jaune almost thought he had a stump for a hand. He nearly lost Crocea Mors in the gullet of the Alpha Beowolf that had clambered up the wall to blindside him, and he had the foolish notion of killing the vile creature with a stab to the mouth. Never again.

He stumbled back to survey the battlefield, cursing the persistence of the monstrous horde. No rest for the weary - his body, exhausted from from the perpetual struggle, almost folded in on itself.

"Look alive, Jaune."

Her words, emanating from the beyond, forced himself back to life, just in time to duck underneath his shield to avoid a piercing torrent of Nevermore feathers. The barricades lurched due to the blow from an Ursai charge, causing Jaune to stagger and fall backwards onto the cold Altesian streets. The strange, insidious cohesion of the Grimm's movements was irritating, constantly breaking the forward walls of the containment. The dark figures rushed towards him, leaking out from dam, and he cut, hacked, and pushed them back with everything his aura could muster. Ursai and Beowolves died, scattering and evaporating into the wind: One blond-haired man stabbing and bisecting shades.

Soon there was a screech as the Nevermore came undone, a piercing green light slicing straight through the avian beast. Penny still owned the skies, and that heartened Jaune. At least something was going well…

The clicks and twitters of a furious DeathStalker expelled the small spark of positivity: the barrier blew apart as the enormous creature charged forward. Jaune cursed himself for being alone, the human forces were already spread so thin. He had to deal with this alone.

The pincer came down, and Jaune deflected it with his shield as he moved forward towards the gaping incisors. One contorted claw swung towards him, and he dived forward, leading with his legs and sliding underneath the swing. He launched himself upwards to plant his sword straight into the Death Stalker's appendage, eliciting a terrified, agonized screech from the arthropod abomination. It swung its pincer outward, taking Jaune with it, flinging him across the street, over the sidewalk, off a signpost, and into the wall.

Jaune rolled his shoulder with a wince as his aura stitched him together, preparing for the upcoming attack. The creature screamed, dragging itself forward… slowly… drawn out…

Jaune noticed the haste glyph around him, and the bright white markings that formed beneath his feet. No longer alone, he thanked Weiss for the support, skipping away from the creature and landing a couple feet back.

No sooner was he safe, than Weiss's white giant landed clean on top of the DeathStalker, shattering its spiny legs and bringing its movements to a halt. One massive cleave from the giant sword and the tail parted from the massive beast, and in a final statement of certainty, the shining claymore planted itself straight through the DeathStalker's head to finish the job.

As the creatures of Grimm leapt out from behind the barrier and tried in vain to deal with Weiss's unbeatable summon, Jaune turned to thank her.

"Thanks… Sorry for letting this barrier slip."

"It's fine, the activity on the West has already lessened considerably. We can handle things from here."

"Alright, lend me som-"

" 'We' as in me and Ruby. She'll be here shortly. Go get some rest, please." Weiss asserted hotly, a perpetual frown on her face.

"But…"

"Jaune, not the time to show off."

Jaune shook his head as Weiss lunged forward forty feet, skewering a Beowolf before unleashing flurry of sword strikes that took care of the surrounding pack. Her giant caught an alpha by the throat, slamming it on the ground, and she used its descending shoulder as a launch pad to shower the Grimm with dust of ice.

Jaune stood there, slowly walking forward. Thinking with a pain in his stomach. She was in no condition to fight.

 _Damnit, damnit… Weiss, you're the one who shouldn't… Gods, I can't just walk away._

"This is why I love you."

"Witchcraft." Jaune muttered to himself, giddy with the sensation of her tender, loving voice, feeling warmth blossom from some deep well in his soul, supplanting his aura. It was just like the night of cold twilight, standing alone in the snow and watching the sky dance in color.

She pushed him forward, prideful and confident.

Weiss skidded back to Jaune with a frown and a glare, clearly agitated with Jaune's refusal to listen, unaware of his convictions.

"What did I say? Get _back_."

An number of Ursa Major crashed through the remains of the barrier, and Weiss's guardian caught the majority of the black, spiny creatures. Some slipped by, forcing Jaune and Weiss to drop the discussion.

"Give me some speed!" Jaune shouted to Weiss as he pushed his body forward, Weiss sputtering and shouting after him. After a couple of steps he felt his body dash forward with semblance-infused quickness, as he slipped and ripped through a pack of Ursai. He felt inspired to try and push the boundaries, to see how far he could go without relying on the crutch of his semblance. Just as he fought the horde, flashes of red and silver streaked through his vision: Ruby had arrived.

And the Grimm vanished like a fog, and with it evaporated Jaune's burst of strength. He fell onto the sidewalk in a heap, as Ruby and Weiss stood over him.

"See? No harm, no foul. Good job Rubes." Jaune joked up at the two huntresses, the concern in their eyes already disturbed him.

"Jaune…" Ruby began, "You've… you've really been pushing yourself."

"Everyone has." Jaune muttered quietly, suddenly preferring solitude. Their concern for him was misplaced.

The two women looked at one another, and rashly Jaune took grievance to this.

"Hey, hey… How long has it been since Beacon? I'm _fine_. Weiss, you just… _You're_ the one who needs to sit out."

"But I'm not trying to get myself killed."

Jaune guffawed.

"A DeathStalker. I'm going to die to a DeathStalker? Or these Beowolves? How… Where are you guys getting this? What is this?"

"I just…" Ruby began, looking down, "Jaune…"

"We just can't take much more." Weiss let out, her eyes vibrant with fear and honesty, "We just… we're all suffering and you've never seemed to get over her-"

"As if I could." Jaune added.

"-Jaune, just… You know we care, and that you're fine. But... you've… you've been so quiet this last year… And…" Weiss frowned and closed her eyes, unable to staunch the emotion. The frustration roared out as flung her hand out in anger.

"Have you even LOOKED AT A MIRROR? I'm just not LOSING anyone anymore, ok? NOBODY. SO... GO!"

Ruby caught Weiss by the shoulder as the Ice Queen rubbed her temple furiously, trying to squeeze away the negativity. Jaune rose quietly, his heart a bit stunned, and began to walk away, rejected.

So this was how Weiss dealt with the loss. He was stupid to have not realized it beforehand.

"I understand. I'm sorry."

He surrendered to his fate.

* * *

 _...Are you just proof that I haven't gotten over you? Are you just here to make me feel better, an anesthesia, a drug? Or are you just some dark voice pushing me to self-destruction?_

She did not respond.

Rest was not really helping him, as he lay two cots down from a rather delirious but peacefully resting Lie Ren. Rest gave him time to think, and thinking took him down the dark path.

No wonder Weiss was horrified at his appearance.

He was a fucking mess. Physically. There was a mirror at the end of the room, right next to the balcony leading out into the cold Atlas air. When he had returned for medical attention, it took an hour for him to scrub off dried blood and dirt from his body, revealing how truly miserable he was. From that very mirror, he saw what Weiss saw: how disfigured he had become, how his unshaven, blood-cut face stared so cruelly at him, even when he tried to smile. It was a bit disorienting.

Bandages everywhere: He hadn't realized how much he had suffered through his journey. Cuts everywhere, an ugly gash on his leg from his journey to Atlas, a million small slices traveling up his arms, marking his face. Bruises and scrapes and lacerations marred his chest and required an liberal use of cloth. All of it oozed with clear blood, now that the dirt and grime had been cleansed from his frame: The antiseptics burned within the cloth, as his body finally found a way to patch the wounds, to heal from its pains... and leaving him to think about the concept of loss, slipping into the same miserable routine.

"Weiss isn't going to have some god-damn voice in her head, is she?" Jaune spoke quietly, "She doesn't need one. She wouldn't look for one, like I did. She's strong. She'll do whatever it takes to save everyone she has left, while I…"

 _Mother._

"While I just run from it. Blind myself. Damnit… Damnit. I swear, mom. Please don't..."

He rose from his reclined position, sitting up with on hand on his knee, staring at the palm of the other. He saw his aura manifest, rising up like steam from the cuts and bruises that peppered his body, he could feel it reach out…

"Don't say such sad things, Jaune."

"Easy for a ghost to say," Jaune muttered back, bitter and jealous but strangely relieved, "You're... just a voice my head. Just a voice."

He winced at his statement. _Unbound by death… unbound by death…_

"Sorry. Sorry. I'm just scared all over again. Just like what I was on the streets of Beacon. I just feel…"

He looked over to Ren. What would it be like to lose him? Nora?

"I don't know if I have it in me."

"You need rest."

Something weighed him down. Directly over his heart, pressing down and squeezing. Jaune could hear the static as his Aura hummed in strain. He nearly rolled out of the bed.

 _Heart attack? No._

"Sleep, Jaune."

He stumbled to the sink, looking out at the burning city beyond the window. He heard nothing, the bandages on his ears blocking out most noise. But not her utterances. Another clamp caught him by the shoulder, pressing against his neck in a gentle massage.

"Be at peace."

Jaune looked into the mirror and the mummy stared back. There he was, a war-torn man wrapped in gauze, with a red, bloody handprint pressed against his bandaged chest, clutching his heart, a spectral aura staining his soul. He could feel the hairs on his neck stand up as she draped her other hand over his shoulder, squeezing his neck in a gentle massage. He could see the discoloration taint his shoulder where their souls collided, as she embraced him from behind.

"Jaune…"

He ran, unable to escape her. He stood over Ren, before falling down to the chair next to him in a shivering mess, her touch still lingering.

"Ren."

His team-mate, his friend, his de-facto brother, mumbled beyond the veil of sleep. Jaune chuckled, terrified of the sensation of a ghost weighing him down.

Literally.

"Ren, buddy. I-... Am I losing it? I think I'm actually fucking losing it..."

"Don't be afraid."

"I thought it was some release…" Jaune muttered, frantically trying to explain, "I thought it was just some sort of reassurance, some fleeting vindication that would wash the slate clean, free me from my own demons, but instead she's just hanging here, actually, _actually_ _haunting me_."

"I would never hurt you."

Jaune bit his lip, feeling her wash over him and rest on his arched back.

"Pyrrha, is it really…"

"I would _never_ hurt you."

He sat up, staring at his hand.

"Hold my hand."

The red shimmer traveled through his aura, across the surface of his skin, tenderly skimming over his wounds, until it rested in the core of Jaune's hand. He could feel her soul squeeze, gently running a thumb across the wrinkles of his palm.

"Holy shit. Holy shit. Let go. _Let go_."

The pressure vanished, and suddenly she was gone, and he was alone, as the cold and pain returned.

"Oh fuck... I'm so fucking gone." Jaune announced hysterically, limping away from Ren's cot and to the balcony, for some needed privacy. He hollered out into the twilight, as the wind kicked up and whipped around him, the air alight with the sounds of conflict.

"Holy _shit_. Ghosts are fucking real. Ghosts are… This has to be a fucking joke."

He looked out. Suddenly realizing the implications.

"Can others hear you?"

Silence.

"DON'T BE FUCKING COY. GOD DAMN IT! I'VE HAD ENOUGH OF THIS-"

Anger and frustration did not summon her comfort.

"God damn it." Jaune sighed, impatient with this, uneasy with this, frantic with this.

 _Nobody is going to believe me. They're gonna wrap me up for sur-_

"Do others need to?"

Her voice was like a memory, filling his mind as if they had this discussion long, long ago. He could easily feel the emotion in her words, filled with a strange sort of hurt. Vulnerable and looking for acceptance.

"I…"

"I am bound to you, Jaune."

"How? Why?"

All he could hear in response was a tender hum, as she drew near to him once again. Still vulnerable, still quivering, but brave as always. She sang quietly, gently imploring him to heal and recover, to not bother himself with pointless matters.

Jaune sighed and shook his head, consenting to her wishes and letting the conversation drop. Some answers just wouldn't come. But as deliriously mad as it seemed, he had her, and somehow, that made the questions not matter as much.

Her voice made him feel safe and warm, blotting out the anxiety and darkness. He let her serenade him to bed, to a dreamless, deep sleep.

* * *

End Part 3


	4. Evidence

Part 4

* * *

Evidence

* * *

Pyrrha Nikos was a fickle being, not to mention ephemeral in the most literal sense. She laughed and sighed softly at Jaune's various questions, preferring to be mysterious, although there was some somber weakness in her silence, as if she desperately wanted to share.

She would whisper, she would comfort, and then she would vanish.

* * *

She was also infuriatingly shy, and when the room filled up with comrades to share their morning meals and discuss, her presence had all but vanished from Jaune's soul, leaving him to their friends as they healed from prior battles.

"...And there 3 of them. Remember when one Deathstalker was enough work for a whole team?" Yang jowled out loud, raising her hands expressively as she sat backwards on her chair. Blake sat on the table behind her along with Weiss, both busy with their breakfast.

"Those were the days." Ren chuckled, awake and in pain, but with a warm smile on his face. Nora sat to the chair next to him, making airplane noises as she teased him with his porridge. Ren just rolled his eyes and tilted his head away, informing Nora that he was done with the childish breakfast routine. Nora grinned and finished the rest in a couple of seconds.

"Well, 3 DeathStalkers weren't enough for me in the end." Yang grinned, proud and boastful as she leaned back, folding her hands on top of the back of the chair.

"What about the Nevermores?" Blake replied, not looking up from her book.

"The Nevermores, what about 'em?"

"There was a flock of them, swarming the transport vessels, weren't they?"

"Yeah!" Ruby said, kicking back next to Yang, trying to emulate her sister's macho seating style, "What about the Nevermores? Did Penny get 'em?"

Yang sighed.

"No, no… Blake... Blake took care of them."

"You're welcome. Six of them by the way: Up your game." Blake added, looking up from her book with a snickering grin. Yang grumbled, as she covered her face, diverting the subject.

"Ruby, you were talking about Cinder? Getting these slackers up to speed?"

Ruby nodded, leaning forward, a triumphant grin on her face.

"So much for her fall maiden powers. When we made the last push to clear out resistance, Team RWBY was able to catch Cinder and friends off guard and on the retreat. Whoever she answers to, it's certainly linked to the black portals and that strange insignia."

"The same insignia," Blake announced, tossing the book to Ren's lap, "... that is detailed on this book. I've been scouring libraries and historical tales, myths, what have you... and the mark always seems to appear. There's a pattern that's starting to form out of every book that mentions this symbol."

Ren took the book in his one able hand and turned the pages lazily.

"So what is that pattern?"

"Basically… 'Deal with the Devil'. Or better yet: 'Deal with the Grimm'. Whatever it is, it's dark, and seemingly more powerful than the Old Man and the Maidens."

"Hm."

"We should immediately warn everyone else about people who wear this symbol or use it in any way," Weiss continued, setting her bowl aside and walking over to the center of the room, "We need to get the news out as quickly as possible, and since we can't build the broadcast tower here, we'll have to scout a safe place."

Ruby nodded and took the center stage, as always:

"Right. We also need to keep Raven and Cinder occupied. I say that Team RWBY goes off in pursuit while Team JNPR travels back down to Vale to ensure the evacuation is secure, as well as spread the news of what we're dealing with."

Jaune replied with a thumbs up to Ruby's proposal. It was clearly the best course of action, since Ren was going to be out of commission for at least a week.

"I'll go check up on Penny and Neptune, then." He announced, stretching his arms as he prepared to rise from his cot.

Weiss frowned, "You're still pretty messed up."

"More the reason to get the blood moving, huh? I mean, check the improvement!" Jaune joked as he scratched his beard with false bravado, "Much better without the grime, huh? Thinking about keeping this bad boy..."

Weiss groaned and stared at the ceiling, Ruby held her head in her hands and gave Jaune a tired rejection, Blake buried herself deeper into her new volume. On the other hand, Ren shrugged with a subdued chuckle, Nora nodded her head with a grin, and Yang snickered loudly and presented him with a thumbs up.

"Three to three, huh? We'll just table it to a committee for a future vote, then." Jaune joked as he stood up from his resting position on a cot, a loose pair of Jeans on as well as some scrappy, torn and bloody shirt to cover up his bandaged frame. Wearing clothes on gauze and dressings was the weirdest sensation, but Jaune had gotten used to it over the latter half of his employ as a huntsman.

"Don't die!" Nora chirped as Jaune sauntered over and out the exit. He smiled as he walked down the hallway, towards the elevator, hearing the festivities continue behind him.

* * *

As the pneumatic hiss of the elevator closed around him, and as the box rose with increasing speed, he looked at his feet and shuffled. It was frustrating, that Pyrrha faded away when RWBY and Ren and Nora were around… Didn't really help the claims that she existed. Nora would have loved to reach out and…

"I can't. I just... can't."

There was such a broken feeling in her, a internal moral struggle that left her frozen in doubt, guilt and sadness. Jaune sighed, still unsatisfied with this situation, morose about her grief.

"It would give them some peace of mind, you know. Just a handprint on my aura, or something, just a sign. They suffer too…"

"They would suffer more."

The elevator shuddered to a halt, and the lights went out, leaving the hunter in absolute darkness. Jaune sighed in frustration, bringing forth his aura to light the dark, claustrophobic space. He dug his fingers in the metal clamps of the elevator door, gritting and grumbling as he wrenched the plates apart. Since he was stuck with strenuous physical actions, he chose to speak to her with his voice, to help him breath.

"So that's why you're only tormenting me, huh?"

Jaune felt her heart drop, and he immediately regretted the stubborn, mindless growl.

"I didn't mean it. I'm… I'm just so caught up in all of this, uh, ghost stuff. I don't really know what to think, or feel. So I make crummy jokes. You know, that's how Jaune Arc copes..."

There was a floor in reach, hidden behind tightly shut doors, and as Jaune reached out to pry an exit apart, he finished his sentence.

"...badly placed jokes and stupid random jabs. Like a proper... grownup."

The darkness lessened as Jaune ripped open the rectangular exit, grunting the last few words in strain. For a moment there was silence, then footsteps as someone realized his predicament. Through the window of light, an Atlas soldier appeared, balancing on her crutches before reaching down with one to give Jaune a pull upwards.

"Thanks…" Jaune winced as he pulled up, rolled and got to his feet, "Another power outage?"

"Seems like it," The woman responded, steadying herself and standing to attention once she knew she was talking to a hunter, "...sir."

"I'm no Commanding Officer, so uh… at ease!" Jaune remarked warmly but put off with the formality, "Which floor is this?"

"67th."

"Then I've got ten floors to go: Thanks for the help."

Getting up and walking off to the stairwells, Jaune felt his body begin to grind against the caked, poorly sealed wounds that riddled his skin. It made him walk stiffly, but as he began to clamber up the stairwells, the scabs cracking and opening giving Jaune a strange, encouraging tinge of discomfort. The stinging made him pause around the 3rd floor up, looking up the stairwell to figure out how much more he would have to deal with.

He just had to mumble out loud a small little complaint, and Pyrrha tittered as he resumed his arduous climb.

* * *

The sparks of the laboratory were so frantic and energized that they nearly lit Jaune's bandages on fire and certainly signed his eyebrows. The back-up generator whined in the distance as seared papers fluttered around in the breeze. At the center of the chaotic nexus stood a googled, burnt blue-haired man, completely engrossed in trying to tame the lightning that was jolting out from his weapon. But when Jaune shouted out in surprise, he glanced towards the entrance, realizing he had a guest.

"Eyes- Watch your eyes!" The hapless engineer yelled as he scrambled for the power switch.

"You're kidding me, Neptune!" Jaune yelled as he covered his face, waiting for the humming to die down, "We have a power outage right now and you're messing around with your…"

"Jaune, jeez… aren't you supposed to be half dead?"

Jaune laughed back at the soot-covered hunter popped off his goggles to reveal a clean set eyes contrasted with a burnt face.

"Aren't you supposed to be keeping the grid up?"

"The grid is fine… fine…" Neptune muttered as he fumbled at a set of controls, remotely fixing couplings until Jaune could hear the noises of electricity running through the building once more.

The massive laboratory, once housing a clutter of mechanical tools, instruments, files and junk was nearly stripped to the bone, the Altesian scientists that had worked studiously within all evacuated with their research just a day prior.

"How's the experiments going?"

"Well, with all of this free space and the Doc's blessing, I was trying to amp up the ol' thunder gun, create some more effective ways to channel the power and stuff. How about you?"

"Getting better."

Neptune nodded as a beeping suddenly erupted from the coathangers by the door. The glaive-user picked out his scroll from his pack and gently pushed away from Jaune.

"Penny's back, give me a moment to check up on her."

Jaune nodded as Neptune left the ashy laboratory, before grumbling and starting to pair papers and organize the mess that Neptune created. As he calmly moved about, tried to ignore the twin metallic capsules set on the other side of the laboratory, a grave reminder of the experiments which were performed by Atlas…

A nostalgic nightmare for him. He soon ended up standing straight in front of one of the pods and staring past the glass to the metallic slab within, and at his reflection in the glass window. In a flash, he could see the comatose woman that resided within Ozpin's "vault" how her scarred face looked so unnervingly still, peaceful... and contrast that to Pyrrha Nikos writhing inside, screaming out in pain.

The nostalgia raked his stomach over the coals, memories welling up from his heart in masochistic allure. All of those vibrant memories from that fateful eve, they felt so real, even when they were from so long ago...

Jaune gritted his teeth and inspected the groves, in some cruel attempt to absorb, understand and comprehend every detail of the machine, envisioning its creation in the depths beneath Beacon Academy. Every bolt punched into place, every screw fastened, gears locked and frames sautered together. Thinking about the details, contemplating how things came to be, helped Jaune avoid the painful thoughts, avoid thinking about the night where he lost her.

"I see you are inspecting my birthplace, Friend Jaune!"

Jaune turned to address the radiant innocence of Miss Polendina, who smiled ever-so-brightly as Neptune dragged her to a chair to pop her right arm open for maintenance.

"Birthplace? I thought that these were…"

"Aura extraction and injection chambers, yes! It was there where I was first created!"

"Oh." Was the best response Jaune could come up with. It made sense, he knew that, but it was still hard to fathom. Penny was such a bright person, as innocent and sweet as they come, so it was always hard to remember that she was metal and circuit.

"The machine works thusly:" Penny announced abruptly, standing up and walking over to Jaune, as Neptune hurried along side of her, putting in finishing touches on her arm.

"The main function of these capsules are to sample and contour fluctuations and static features of an Aura field. After discerning the most ample point of where aura can be… grasped… the machine pulls at that point and channels it into the desired vessel, found here. The same sampling process is done to find the most ample… point to channel the separated aura."

Jaune listened intently, familiarizing himself with the apparatus.

"Measuring aura, you say?"

Penny cocked her head in the sweetest way.

"Of course! Most technology measuring aura simply measures the mass of the field, giving us an approximation of an aura's consistency. But these machines can inspect aura as a surface, with extreme precision and resolution never seen before!"

"Seeing Aura as a surface, huh..."

"Mass Aura Spectrometry, to be precise. Would you like to try?"

Jaune paused, having difficulty processing the question.

"Get in there?!"

"Yes! There is no other way to get a reading if you're not 'in there'!" Penny agreed, aloof as always, unaware of Jaune's previous experience with the science. Neptune had an inkling of what was going on, though, so he cleared his throat.

"I don't think Jaune really wants to…"

But Jaune had a growing idea, a siren song that tempted him with concrete answers.

"Have you measured your aura, Neptune?"

"Yeah, yeah… its…. kinda cool? Apparently my aura is a bit disproportionate and skewed to the left…? It's… It's not a complete science, Jaune."

"Well, it's certainly lead to something," Jaune grumbled, poking Penny on the nose to highlight his point, "Can you promise you're not going to steal my soul?"

Neptune blinked, surprised and a bit concerned.

"N-no. I mean, the coupling between the two machines was cut months ago. No more aura... uh, experiments of that nature. Just measurement."

"Then can we get a picture?"

"Of your aura?"

"Why not?"

Neptune was nervous to reply, but Penny did it for him with a ecstatic "fantastic!" and punched in commands into the control panels, opening the chamber and shoving Jaune in.

"We don't even need to close the front! Oh, but you should definitely," Penny exclaimed as she slammed the hood down, her voice becoming muffled, "... enjoy the authentic experience!"

"Crap." Jaune muttered, suddenly realizing how cramped the space was, putting his hands onto the metal lid, before letting them fall to his sides, regretting every moment. As the dim humm of the machine began to grow into a whir, his heart began to ricochet within his chest, tugging at his arteries in the most frantic way. In the haze of the adrenaline rush he could hear Neptune muttering at the controls.

"Just try and take it easy, don't move, certainly isn't fun to be so cramped, and all that jazz…"

Jaune closed his eyes and tried to think, but by the time he had started to think the metallic box exploded, the door swinging upward on its hinges.

"Pretty quick huh?" Neptune chuckled as the Jaune staggered out, bringing up a small scale 3d model out of the panel. Jaune took a moment to appreciate the miniature replica of himself, frozen with it's hands down and its head staring out.

"So here's your figure, kinda distorted with all of those bandages and some of your movements. No big deal. Now here…"

A tangle of webs, circles, and particles obscured his form. A cloud of particles engulfing and obscuring the little hunter and expanding far out, at least six times as expansive as the small little model of Jaune. It formed an almost perfect oval, in spite of its composite nature.

"This is what the scientists think is aura, lotta stuff here that we don't need to see. To simplifying things, we'll just look at your inflicted aura."

"Inflicted?" Jaune looked up, expecting an exposition.

Neptune sighed and tried to explain.

"Aura is like a second skin, right? Well, we're going to be measuring what areas of your aura have been affected the most. It's a bit like a story of what you've gone through in the past couple days, Aura-wise… All of the wounds, scratches, and everything in between. The more activity in the aura, the strong the aura is."

More beeps, and the cloud disappeared to reveal a condensed blob that floated around the virtual Jaune, featuring an incredibly irregular surface, spikes and cones jumping out at strange intervals, whips of aura almost touching Jaune's skin, other swirls farther away.

"Dang, you're messed up. Look at all of that irregularity at your chest, your neck…"

It was true, those areas had a greatly compressed aura, a thick, compact layer that was almost analogous to the physical representation of Juane's body, a second skin.

"That sort of stuff happens when your aura is really strong, or stressed, the frequencies and amplitudes lining up, so they can become compact. That's a good thing. It's like constructive interference, just for aura... probably the strongest points on your aura are there."

"It looks like a hand!" Penny announced, pointing at the irregularity that hovered over Jaune's heart. It was true: it looked like someone had pushed his… or her hand on a soft, deep blanket, creating a hole or valley that sunk deep compared to the rest of the fabric.

"Yeah, that's pretty cool," Neptune agreed, assessing Jaune's aura, "Never saw such an irregularity like that, but dang Jaune, it's true… you've got a lot of Aura. Look at all of this interference you have going on!"

"Yeah, yeah…" Jaune muttered absentmindedly, trying to process the feeling that welled deep within him. It was part relief, part excitement.

For the first time in months, he felt sane.

* * *

End Part 4


	5. What to Do

Part 5

.

* * *

What to Do...

* * *

Eventually, the fact that the aura and soul of his significant other was interacting with his own from the beyond presented an uncomfortable reality. The moment Jaune slowly made his way off of the Atlesian craft and into the disorder that was Signal Academy just off the coast of Vale, he realized that his bandages were wilting and rotting, crusted yellow and brown from pus and blood. Although his healing was progressing smoothly, he would have to take a shower.

A shower.

He had stopped the moment he had stripped down to his bandages and a grubby piece of underwear, staring at the mist that blasted out from the showerhead and throughout the bathroom. Sure, taking off the bandages would be blisteringly painful. Of course, the hot shower was going to hurt like hell against his scrapes and sores.

But did he have privacy? How did he know when his ethereal companion was… well, present? _Watching?_

And so, showers evolved into a whole new dimension of doubt and frustration and torment.

* * *

But awkward quagmires involving personal hygiene could not be agonized over. The citizens of Vale needed protection, the dark forces needed to be fought, and the puzzle of the CCT tower needed solving. Finally presentable and comfortable in his hunting gear (with some bandages still peeking out), Jaune rejoined with his friends to plot the course forward.

They met in a clearing, apart from the camps, overlooking the misty and abandoned city of Vale across the channel. There they stood and plotted: Members of Team JNPR, Team SSSN, and Team CRDL. Penny rocked back and forth with an excited smile, new to these strategy meetings and amped to take part.

"Well, ain't that a joke. Signal is the best place to send out a signal... Who would have thought." Russel muttered, spinning his dagger in an erratic manner.

"And even better, it's the ideal place to defend," Neptune added, pointing down at the map of Remnant, "water on all sides, no Goliaths to worry about."

"At least, we can hope:" Ren muttered, "we've come across some very strange Grimm over our travels. Amphibious Grimm are just as dangerous: If our enemies want to launch an offensive here, they could easily overrun us in our current state."

"We're going to need everything and everyone we can get, and we can't rely on RWBY." Jaune agreed as he asserted his authority, "Russel, you need to catch up to CFVY and bring them back. We'll need them for this."

"They left like a week ago!"

Jaune sighed at the weak complaint.

"Russel, you're phenomenal at navigating through hostile terrain. You're the best bet if we're to get CFVY back in time for the defense… and they left four days ago."

"Tall order to get them back in a week."

"I trust you."

"Yeah, well, you aren't my team leader. Kinda strange for you to send me off solo through a Grimm-infested city in hopes of getting those two huntresses."

Jaune felt impatience creeping into his lungs, but he kept it restrained for the sake of the group. CRDL had gone through the same situation as the rest of the students, but sadly their piss poor attitude refused to completely die. They were too busy figuring out how to survive than to jerk around and engage in stupid troublemaking. How to deal with this...

"Cardin's not here..."

Pyrrha wanted to help, and Jaune thanked her for the advice. For the first time since he had heard her, he felt animosity in her tone, at the mention of Cardin and Russel's stubbornness.

"Cardin isn't here, Russel. Like it or not, I'm the only team leader we've got, and so you're just going to have to follow the chain of command."

"Then I'll go to the Council."

"The Council?" Nora laughed bitterly, "Those guys who have no experience in what we do? You want them to pass orders?"

"Well, they know when to cut their losses. Two dead warriors is better than three."

"Russel," Jaune started quietly, before anyone else could speak, "I wouldn't be giving you this task if I knew you couldn't pull through with it. We all know you can do it. What is it you want?"

Russel, for once in his spiteful existence, wasn't an utter asshole.

"Velvet is quick, but Coco is slow as shit. I don't think she can keep up, and I'm not so good on the ground. We're bound to fight some Grimm and if we get swamped because of her lead feet..."

"Not going to happen."

"Easy for you to say." Russel grumbled.

"Well, leave her then," Jaune shot back, exasperated, "One dead huntress is better than two."

Russel glared at Jaune in a rather disgusted manner.

"Easy for you to say."

"Well I'm just repeating what you said, Russel."

Russel sighed and stared out at the horizon.

"They're gonna be at Mountain Glenn by now…"

"So get going. We'll be waiting."

Russel looked at Jaune and with an exhausted, irritable "all right", Team CRDL left the circle, as their representative member ran off to carry out his mission.

Everyone relaxed with the turn of events. Ren was especially pleased: he was the next able candidate to retrieve CVFY, but his shoulder was still torn up. It would be healed for the defense, but for travel?

"Alright then." Jaune announced jovially, "Me and Nora will survey the island for defenses, while you three can get started on that tower."

* * *

"...now THIS would be ideal for an Anti-Air battery!"

Nora really liked military tech.

"...And that treeline over there? That's a perfect place for a bunker. Per-fect!"

It wasn't an obsession like Ruby's, who fantasized over the intricacies of gunsmithing, every spiral of Crescent's rose barrel and every gear of it's servo maintained at perfect quality.

"...Which links directly back to HQ! And we could put another AA battery…"

Her passion was also different than Yang's, who spent ages on her motorcycle, Bumblebee, until she was covered in oil and grease, ensuring the two-stroke pistons moved smoothly and gears spun as they should.

"Nora, we don't have that sort of military, or time..."

"But just think about it!"

Nora just loved war, and all the vehicles and artillery mechanisms that went with it. She planned her battles, and wherever they traveled, Nora would describe where her fortifications and forward lines would be placed on a landscape.

"What about a Thunderbolt, right here?"

Though passion didn't necessarily mean genius. Nora was always caught up in the possibilities, not in the facts. Looking at the clipboard, Jaune could tell that there would be no railguns available for deployment.

"We aren't in Atlas, Nora. Vale doesn't have that sort of heavy weaponry."

Nora grumbled as she punted a rock into the distance, not caring where it landed.

"Well, if 'Salem' and the White Fang are going to try and stop us with an operation as big as Beacon or Mistral or Atlas, Nevermores and Griffons are going to clog the sky and gosh knows what is going to start climbing up the cliffs. Penny won't be enough."

"We've got some heavy machine guns we can mount. The edge of that treeline you pointed out seems to be a good spot for one."

"And how many do we have?"

Jaune looked at her with a sheepish grin, and showed her the number. Nora groaned.

"This is ridiculoussss! I am not dying like this."

"C'mon, Nora, it's not that bad."

The thunder woman sighed and pushed the loose soil at her feet.

"I know, I know… Just fed up of always defending."

Jaune shrugged as he walked forward, moving towards the next clearing.

"Someone has to do it, Nora."

"And it has to be us. Always."

She wasn't following him, and her voice suddenly turned uncharacteristically dull. Fearfully solemn. Jaune turned around to look up at his team-mate, who elaborated.

"I didn't sign up for this, Jaune. You saw what happened to Ren. I… I don't want us to go down like this."

"We aren't going down," Jaune interjected, confused by Nora's sudden pessimism, "This is going to be big defense, Nora, I know. Who knows who will lead the Grimm against us. Hell, it might be Cinder."

"Doesn't matter: I want to fight on my own terms. I want to go out there and hunt. It's in the damn title, you know," Nora humphed, regaining some of her gusto as she planted her arms on her hips, Magnhild swaging as she changed stance, "I'm through with the whole 'survival' shtick. I can lift fifteen of me, and zap sand into glass. We can go out there and do what RWBY does: taking the fight to them. They need the help."

Jaune felt a bit heavy: he shared Nora's frustration.

"But the people of Vale need us."

"They're always going to need someone! And every time we make a stand, we lose some. Look at Winter, Qrow, CVFY, SSSN… hell even CRDL, those dicks. We've been losing someone, every time we play defense."

Jaune understood her fears: The dangers of loss was not something he had a monopoly over.

"We'll make it through. I promise you."

"You don't understand. I'm- I'm fine with going out. Dying. I thought that Kraken got me, when we were separated off the coast of Atlas. Going into that ice flow, drowning and making calamari out of that hulking squid… What a way to go, you know? Some damn heroic stuff…"

Jaune tried to speak up but Nora waved him down.

"Don't… don't talk to Ren about this. First off. Ok?"

"Ok."

"This is from team member to team leader. A request. I want to go on the offensive. No more of this "hold the line" baloney. I want to be out there with RWBY and put an end to all of this. If that means I die fighting, so be it. But I'm through with this miserable, useless struggle for survival."

Just like Nora to want to start a fight. Jaune knew, but he was no good at heartfelt conversations… ever since his first (and last) Vytal Festival, such discussions at the eve of battle seemed to be omens of doom.

"RWBY's on another level, Nora. The things they face..."

"We can do it! We can keep up with them, I'm sure. Ren's can do it easy and you… I mean you can shake off 20 Deathstalkers like they are fleas if you wanted too!"

"It's a lot more complicated than that..." Jaune disagreed in an irate tone, momentarily frustrated at all of the exaggerations that have spawned about his semblance.

"C'mon, Jaune. We can't just let them keep dictating things! I mean, you of all people…"

She dropped off, suddenly unwilling to continue the discussion, afraid of bringing Pyrrha up. Jaune saved her from feeling guilty by moving on down the hill.

"Nora. We have to get to the next clearing."

"...I'm not dropping this!" Nora yelled as she dashed over to Jaune and took the lead, "We have what RWBY has. The skill, the strength, the drive… Aren't you sick of this?"

Jaune sighed as the shade of the trees covered them.

"Of course I am."

"Then why are you sending me and Ren into this fight?"

Jaune didn't have an answer.

It took them a couple minutes to exit the woods into a new clearing, a new terrain. The cliff jutted inward, cutting off their path in a V-shaped gash into the side of the mountain. The sun was sinking, inches above the horizon, slowly being dipped into a glaze of orange.

Nora wasn't talking now, quietly listening to Jaune as he pointed out and marked the terrain.

"We started mapping the coast over there… so good timing. I think that people could be stationed alongside this ridge to give support to the positions over there…"

There was nothing left to discuss.

* * *

Darkness fell. The preparations were underway, and Jaune decided to seek advice from his… beloved? It was still so very strange to recognize Pyrrha's presence. They had… coexisted for so long, but the sudden closeness and intimacy in the sea of darkness was still so stunning. Too good to be true.

Out in the sunset overlooking the landless sea, on the opposite side of the Patch where privacy was nearly guaranteed, she crept into his arms, warm as always. She read his thoughts, quietly letting his internal conflicts and thoughts play out.

"I… really was a childish mess when you were gone. Always dreamt about… closure. In any sort of way: Saving you.. or killing the one responsible for your death."

Jaune dragged his sword and scabbard out in front of him, drawing a ragged, uneven line.

"Pretty temperamental, but I wrestled it under control after a few stupid, rash outbursts, don't worry. But... I never really let it go, either. The temptation of vengeance was always an undercurrent of my actions. Then you came along… and I guess it is true - I'm not so stupid anymore, I'm not so hurt. But Nora…"

Pyrrha sighed as Jaune continued.

"Nora and Ren and all… they haven't let it go. They don't have you to give them peace. And now that look in her face... She doesn't want to become me. Someone who has 'moved on'. Isn't that crazy?"

"But have you?"

"Damn, that's true… I am pretty attached to you after all, huh? But... again, you're not floating over them and giving them peace of mind. I don't know what I want to do anymore. I don't want to see people suffer… but I don't want my friends to suffer either. If Ren dies, will he return to Nora?"

"Don't dwell on such a sad thought."

"Well, Pyrrha. Having you is not 'sad' to me. After so much struggle, I finally have a breath of air. I have peace. Now I look at my friends and realize their torment, it's just so jarring."

"But it's not just that…"

Pyrrha's hand rested on his cheek, and Jaune's eyes looked the other direction. She knew Jaune and his thoughts, and compelled him to say more.

"I…"

"Say it. Let me hear it."

"I guess I don't want to lose you again. Dying... would kinda ruin the thing we have right now."

"Are you afraid?"

"Worse: I'm selfish. As much as I would love to go on the offensive… I just feel apathetic about it, now that one huge reason to do it is gone now. Even when I know how fiercely everyone else is, how driven they are to strike back at Salem. Now that I have you, that sort of desire for vengeance is gone."

"Gone…? She killed me. She tore us... apart."

Pyrrha's voice was a slur of grief and frustration, and it was strange to hear her so disturbed.

"You can't even see me. Hold me."

Jaune blinked and looked at his hands, letting his sheathed sword fall against his waist.

"But I can hear you. I can feel you... "

"It does not change the fact that we have lost so much."

Now the negativity was just exuding from her, and Jaune had to stop her before it started to affect him.

"What do you want? Do _you_ want vengeance?"

"...Your friends are hurting, you know their suffering. You can help them."

"How?"

"Lead them against the darkness. Grant them closure and peace."

Jaune looked out to the dark horizon, where Grimm monstrosities most certainly watched them, spiteful and jealous of their union. Of their bright, flickering souls.

"But can I? It's more dangerous than anything, to do what RWBY does. One mistake can lose everything. One mistake and a crusade for justice becomes a self-destructive, inglorious end. I don't want to lead Ren or Nora to _that._ "

Pyrrha snaked around him, spreading her warmth and soothing his doubts in such a sweet whisper, the pain and anger gone from her soul.

"You will not allow it."

"I'm not some hero, Pyrrha. I'm not Ruby..."

"You are more. You are Jaune Arc, leader of JNPR."

In its place was a heartburn, a longing… a reverence and pride that radiated outwards.

"Survivor of Vale, defender of Mistral and Atlas. Despite all of the loss, you have become so strong: A hunter. I could have never imagined it, your strength, your conviction."

Jaune certainly felt a bit embarrassed and flustered by the compliments, but at the same time it raised his spirits and... he wanted more. And she continued to feed him the warmth, the hope.

"You can protect them, Jaune… We can. You and I… will let nothing get in our way. We will be _invincible_."

* * *

End Chapter

* * *

A/N

Even when comrades and warriors pass on, the students of Beacon still respectfully keep their team affiliations to honor their roots and lost comrades.

So speculate what you like on the status of people who do not explicitly show up in this story. Injured, MIA, Dead, what have you! I won't tell... Though there might be some hints here or there...


	6. Conviction Found at Twilight

Part 6

* * *

Conviction found at Twilight

* * *

She whispered to him often, especially during the last minutes before bed. Always so warm, so confident, subtly reinforcing his mind as the decisive hour approached. Even as the shadows began to lengthen and linger, even as the nights dragged on longer and longer, while the days died too soon, her closeness seemed to burn away the apprehension and fear in his heart. Her confidence, her loyalty, her presence seemed to press even deeper into his aura, into his soul.

* * *

 _CRRSHSHSHSH-RRRRSHHH-HHHHH-IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII-_

"Shutitoffshutitoff-SHUT-IT-OFF!" Coco roared, hands covering her ears along with the rest of the assembled warriors while Neptune scrambled to cut the power.

Penny sighed and put her hands to her hips, completely oblivious to the torment of her friends.

"110 decibels, Neptune, poor, poor choice! It is recommended by the scientific community that decibels do not exceed 80…"

"I know I know," Neptune grumbled, swearing under his breath, "That was a signal, all right. But corrupted as shit. I'm going to need to tune the frequency-"

Jaune nodded, his heart hardening as he looked to the rest of the assembled hunters and huntresses.

"Well, we didn't expect it to be easy. Get to your positions and prepare for the defense. Neptune, get that message out."

As he walked away from the compound, he stopped momentarily to grab Russel by the shoulder.

"How's the arm? Still-"

"Painful." The CRDL member grumbled over his question, fiddling and flipping his two knives with a bit more strain now.

"Well, that's why you get escort duty. You did a damn fine job: Coco's going to have your tab for a month or two, I promise you."

Russel's frown didn't die out but he didn't ignore the statement either, nodding as he stepped back to let the rest of the warriors pass. Jaune moved on.

"Nora, Ren, let's go."

* * *

The woods of Patch wound around them, cold and frost-stained. It took them fifteen minutes to arrive at the clearings and the cliffs. Around them stood warriors and civilians alike, armed with whatever munitions were available, protected by trees and dirt-dug trenches. The evacuation had already begun days prior, as the Council was finally convinced to place their bets on Vacuo rather than staying on Patch. All the easier for Team JNPR to execute their plan and warn the hunters and huntresses of Remnant about the true enemy behind the shroud of night.

Across the sparkling, sunset ocean, Vale stood, smoking as always.

Nora swore under her breath as she took in their surroundings.

"Why do we always have to take the big one?"

Jaune looked over at her.

"Yes, I know. This is the shortest distance from Vale, the most Grimm. But that's the point: But we'll stand together as a team, not apart. That's when we're at our best: we will make it through."

He could almost hear the laughter as Pyrrha's face brighten into a smile. It was strange, really, how confident she was, how irrationally happy she was. But no matter how unnerving, her positivity was something Jaune craved, dispelling the cold and the nerves.

Steely eyed Ren had nothing to say, and as soon as JNPR came to a stop, a lone voice crept up from behind them.

"Sir!"

Some security guard carrying high-zoom binoculars, with an urgent look on her face that clearly conveyed the subject at hand. It was depressing, to realize that the Grimm had already began to make their move, dragged and manipulated like chattel. Jaune missed the days where terrorist acts and negative propaganda were needed to summon the destructive horrors of the darkness. Those were gentler, simpler times.

Jaune accepted the binoculars graciously.

"The docks and the city square," the lookout reported, patient but clearly anxious. Jaune put on the goggles and took a look.

Yes, they were congregating in force. Out from the sewer pipes, like some vile ooze, came the Creeps, pouring out into the waters, while Alpha Beowolfs and their underlings seemed to quietly gather on the docks, motionless and staring straight out into the lens of the binoculars, straight at Jaune. The swordsman ignored the intimidation and focused on the city square…

 _Fuck._

"We've got lots of amphibious activity, Creeps and the like," Jaune announced as he handed the binoculars to Ren, "...And a whole host of Nevermores and Griffons congregating in the city center. Most of them are obscured by the smoke."

"Did you check Beacon's tower?" Nora said as she waited for her turn.

Jaune looked at her in a rather unimpressed way, like she should had known better, but also with some guilt in his stomach.

"No… I… I didn't really think about that," was his hasty reply.

Ren finished his sweep and looked out with a grimace, scanning the shoreline, the city center, and then Beacon, before handing the binoculars off to Nora.

"Well..." he began sadly.

A roar shook the earth, and the beauty of the world immediately lost its life and soul. A call for nightfall.

"... We have a dragon." Ren finished with a morose sigh.

As the furious screech subsided, Vale became a shadow, living darkness swirling around it like a blizzard, as the soullessness began to exude and radiate outward from the city. Like a black hole, everything good was sucked in and consumed: The sunset seemed to lose all of its color, the melodious sounds of the ocean became harsh and abrasive. The night was coming, and leading the charge would be a monstrosity of the skies.

Nora almost swore out loud, but Jaune spoke up before her, addressing the commander.

"Prepare for the onslaught, soldier. They'll be here before sundown."

Nora instead chose to swear under her breath and look desperately at Jaune as she lowered her binoculars, a face that look like Jaune had betrayed her.

"How are we supposed to fight this?"

"Don't worry about it, Nora," Ren spoke calmly as the evacuation alarms began to flare up in the island behind them, "We aren't here to fight, only to stall."

"So... we have 0 chance of winning." Nora countered with a glum mumble, passing the time to inspect Magnhild with a pouting look.

"Hey, no negative thoughts." Jaune complained weakly, then awkwardly turned away when he realized Ren was already assuaging the Thunder Girl's fears. He looked on, happy and bitter and jealous and terrified.

He couldn't let anything happen to them. He couldn't. He'd face Cinder and Mercury and four thousand Griffons to protect the two.

But would it be enough?

* * *

That's exactly the problem with fighting the Grimm: it's never enough. They die so easily, evaporate into a thin mist, an easy irritation to remove for a skilled fighter.

But every particle of their being is a mechanism of fear, a corroding agent of mental warfare. Soon, it begins to eat away at your confidence: There are _so many_ of them, threatening to completely black out your vision with their hideous tide. No matter how quickly they disappear, they don't vanish quickly enough. They are _so relentless_ , leaping or bulldozing straight through defeated comrades without missing a single beat. Every single unit acting with assurance that there would be no morning for their opponent to wake up to. All of these creatures, charging forward with singular purpose and no doubt behind their masks...

While you are so alone, so mortal, a human stuck fighting darkness itself. Your confidence wanes, and before you know you are feeding the negativity, throwing gasoline into the inferno. And then you drown in them. It happens so fast, but Jaune has seen many faces to know what it is like, the emotion and doom clearly apparent in their eyes.

"Left."

A impulsive snap of the arm brought his sword around to cut through the Creep that had tried to blindside him. Jaune trusted Pyrrha completely, as she shouted above the dark force, a lifeline that brought him out of the dark tar whenever his strength wavered.

His shield broke the mask of charging Griffon. His sword swung back forward and curved upward to lop off the claw of one of those crustacean abominations. The attack made Jaune leave the ground, so he fell back he swooped low to spring himself forward and meet the upcoming challengers with speed.

Some strange, gill-sporting Beowolf with a heavily armored head: cut straight through the middle. Two Creeps: knocked back with a shield bash, the other with a strong right kick.

Retract and re-assess. Two beowolfs: a stab, a duck and a slice. Behead that octopus-headed monster. _Another_ creep to rip through. Another... _Dust, they're everywhe-_

"Jaune, above."

Jaune's head jerked up to the sky, staring up at the grasping talons of a Nevermore.

"Go."

She implored him.

"Rise."

Jaune took her commands to heart. He shot up to meet up the wings of death, ramming Corcea Mors straight between its beak before it had a chance to clamp down. The Nevermore had no chance to shriek, or do anything as Jaune followed through with the swing, cleanly cutting off the top half of it's head. He found footing on the evaporating Grimm's enormous wingspan, taking in the battlefield before falling back down into the seething swarm.

Jaune grew frustrated with the living shadows, denying him a proper foothold and trying to pile onto him and break through his aura. He let his soul intensify, forcing out a hollow ringing noise that echoed out through the clearing.

As his semblance surged outwards and manifested, he looked forward and lashed out with his sword…

And there were no more demons to haunt him, all blown away into the wind. For two brief seconds, he looked around.

The defenders pillboxes were flashing in the dusk, firing constantly out into the assaulting forces, especially at the flocks of Nevermores and Griffons that flew high and inland, towards the evacuees. In short bursts, bright green lines streaked across the sky as Penny took the air away from the Grimm, although the majority of her powers were being used to combat the Dragon and draw it away from the front line. That left him, Nora, Ren, and the various other hunters spread out in the island to take care of the invading Grimm. With the ebb of the charcoal tide, JNPR reformed around their leader, awaiting orders.

"Anything?" Nora shouted, more angry and frustrated than usual. Better that than fear, Jaune supposed.

Black claws and hands and tentacles reached up over the cliff's edge, signaling the arrival of more of the same. While Ren started to pepper the first arrivals, Jaune glanced down at his scroll. Nothing.

"Not yet," He responded loudly, "Which is good, all things considered."

True. There were a lot of things that could go wrong, while only one good piece of news they could receive. No news was good.

The first line of Grimm rose up from the edge, immediately rushing forward to resume the offensive. Last calls for orders.

"All good?"

"Yeah…" Nora responded.

"Of course." Ren casually replied.

"Ok," Jaune muttered as the darkness rose up to face them, "Nora, take care of the right. I'll get lef-"

The beings of hate engulfed them before Jaune could finish his commands, their fangs and talons rushing forth, frantically trying to grasp at and tear apart the hunters. After those precious moments of rest, Jaune was unprepared for the aggression and nearly lost grip of his sword.

One thing he certainly lost grip of was time. Thrown back into the frantic prison of survival, unable to think of anything but avoiding the teeth and other lethal components of the Grimm.

This is when hunters died: The second wave.

They were weakened, they were given a moment's respite, a false hope that the nightmare had ended, only to be submerged in the swirling, black mass. Stunned and caught off guard, it was easy for the most trained fighter to lose their cool and begin to waste time on corrosive, deadly thoughts like:

 _Brothers take them, how are they able to climb so well?_

 _How much longer?_

 _Damnit, Neptune!_

A set of claws raked Jaune straight across the face, throwing him back onto the ground. For a split second, Jaune felt strange cold lines across his face as he rose, praying that it was imagination and not blood welling up from a vicious injury. Then he felt his aura flickering around him, and the momentary terror subsided: he was safe.

The monster that nearly blinded him was already trying for a second attempt, and as Jaune began to block and weave around the heavily armored… thing, he could hear his scroll beep and a strange vibration shock his sword arm.

News.

Jaune struggled to triumph over this armored monstrosity, which seemed to be an unholy cross-breed of a Leviathan and an Ursa. Claws and armored extensions aplenty, he was able to slice off one arm in a counter and spun past the other, bisecting the head as its various appendages tried to assault him.

It wasn't over: two more of these alphas surrounded him, with enough fodder to make him consider using his semblance. He grit his teeth as he ducked under an attack and used a sidekick to knock one of them far away. With his aura and semblance the creature nearly flew off the cliff, knocking and squashing a number of obsidian beasts as it skidded away.

The second one was meticulous with its swipes, careful to avoid the fate of the previous Grimm. Jaune knew its partner would return soon, and took the offensive, knocking away the creatures guard and sticking his sword straight through the creature's mass.

As it dissipated, the thing hugged him. Fucking despicable to the touch and horribly inconvenient. Jaune barely broke free, no time to avoid the second Grimm's screeching charge. Aura cracked and hissed in interference as Jaune and the Alpha tumbled on the ground. Luckily, he jammed his shield hand on the side of it's mouth, keeping its needles, canines and various fangs from clamping over his head and ending his life. He strained to pull out his sword, and when he finally jammed Corcea Mors through the Ursa's mouth and skull, the damage had already been done.

He pulled free of the disappearing cloud, with such a fizzling aura that it could be compared to a carbonated drink left out for a day. All of that effort keeping his hand safe from the jagged teeth, draining it all to kingdom come. He was spent: couldn't take a single hit more.

That's when a Jormungand rose up from the cliffside, twice the size of a King Taiju, and unleashed a triumphant scream.

A clap of thunder and a explosion later, the Jormungand tumbled backwards, falling off the cliff and back into the dark oceans below. If Jaune could laugh, he would have: Nora never failed to deliver. But the beast would be back: he needed to recuperate, quickly.

Cleaving through another swell of Creeps, Jaune was able to glimpse the message as he brought his sword forward. He honestly couldn't believe it, and had to check once more after he dispatched a pack of beowolves.

Good news.

Who would have guessed it?

With his left hand, he found his flare gun on his belt, and fired it off. He felt the red light bathe the world harshly, almost painting the black Grimm blood red. He flung the empty flaregun at some random monster and began to look for his teammates.

He only moved five steps before the Jormungand rose again, furious and now with company. Its two accomplices burst out of the ground before the cliff-face, impatient and realizing that the humans were going to get away. With an open mouth, a violent jet of water erupted from the first Jormungand from behind the fangs, nearly clipping Jaune and pulverizing the Grimm flanking him.

Jaune's face fell as one of the monsters flopped onto the ground, moving through the infested battleground straight towards him. One blast would eat through his aura in a second, and cut straight through his body. Everything in his body suddenly bubbled with acid weariness, begging him to retreat with the defenders.

But he had to stay: he and JNPR needed to stall out the Grimm horde, by at least minutes, so that they would not catch the retreating forces as they loaded up onto cargo ships or planes.

He was trapped, and when he saw the eight meter face of the Grimm sea serpent bowl over an Ursa on its way to him, he nearly gave up. But he didn't have that liberty any more. The jet of water passed over his shoulder as he sprinted at the beast, and the snakehead tore away the ground at his feet as he jumped over its lunge. Retracting almost immediately, the serpent avoided a final blow and reared back, towering at least two stories over the hunter, its mouth slightly ajar in what almost appeared to be a indignant frown of disgust.

It had the superior reach, and the high ground: he had the skill and the bravery to let it make the first move. They could kill one another in a single, clean hit, and both of them knew it… and so they waited. And waiting was not something Jaune could do: he saw out of the corner of his eyes that other Grimm were approaching, looking for a kill.

Jaune felt time slow as his semblance manifested once more, just in time. As the claws came so breathtakingly close to his skin, the sea serpent so terrifying and slow, as it descended down upon him with its enormous mouth wide and hungry.

They all were blown apart, and the pain of his weakened aura flared deep within his chest. The severed head of the sea monster flopped down in front of him, utterly useless but full of hatred. But in one glorious moment, the onyx sea was parted due to his offensive. He took the time to look out over the black tide, searching for his team-mates.

First, to his left, was Ren.

Jaune had no idea how Ren ended up on his left. Then again, Jaune had no idea how the hell Lie was able to fight such massive Grimm with some artfully designed daggers and pistols. Yet he moved through the packs without any hesitation or strain, not standing his ground but weaving through the Grimm as though he was the attacker. Just as Jaune caught onto his figure, he kicked off a Ursa and landed on a tree branch, looking out over the masses, glazing over Jaune for one moment.

He yelled something. Jaune stepped forward in his direction, only for Ren to throw out an outstretched hand, yelling louder now.

Jaune could read his lips, and understood. He looked to his right, and took in the situation.

There was no way Nora could over come two Jormungands. Gods, how had he forgotten those two massive Grimm? This sort of shit was reserved for Ruby, whose bright silver eyes could let her march past all lesser Grimm, all of the runts and alphas, and take on the behemoths one on one. Nora was clearly outmatched and on the defensive: There were no more lightning at her fingertips, a clear sign she was dangerously close to running out of aura. At least she was alive.

But for how long?

Jaune was running out of time, as the darkness was already approaching him as well. And she was so far away, a field of Grimm to rush through… He was a scrape away from losing his aura.

He was having a hard time processing this, but over the years Jaune had learned to act without thought. It was adrenaline that substituted aura, as he plunged through the mire, at times using his raw strength to push over a creep that blocked his path. His shield to stop death, his sword to kill would-be murderers. His mind finally caught up to the motions, justifying this suicidal charge:

 _I made a fucking promise, damnit._

He was forgetting to breathe in all of his. His face was locked in pure anger and frustration... and fear. He was losing composure, all of that negativity just making everything so much more impossible. But could you blame him?

He was screaming on the inside. Trying to blot out that conversation he had with her earlier. It was a fucking curse to talk to people before the eve of battle, wasn't it? Of course it was! How could he have been so blind!? He had given her fears a voice, and then he had put them off with a promise. The Jormungands sensed it clearly, that desperation to survive, no matter how subtle it was, it had fed the swarm. It had sealed her fate...

 _Nononononononoonoono._

The negativity would kill him now too, if he kept with this piss poor mindset. The Grimm were reaching out and his muscles were past the point of no return. He had to escape, survive. But he had made a promise.

So he pushed forward instead.

Everything was burning. His heart was on fire. He knocked back another Beowolf, only for an Alpha to take its place. Their orange eyes surrounded him, like embers on the breeze, watching his hopes go up in flames.

Another step towards his comrade.

An Alpha Ursa nearly tore him apart were it not for his chestplate: its claws only scratching metal. A anger-fueled sword rended the beast.

Further.

 _How the fuck am I alive?_

He was closer than he ever dreamed, and he could see one of the Jormungands curled back with an irate snarl, twisted its mask in Jaune's direction as it recognized a possible opponent.

 _How the fuck…_

Jaune cleaved through another Alpha with a defiant yell, finally breathing in air for what seemed like an age. He could feel some strange resonance in his core. He was almost there. He could feel his aura surge forth, in the rawest, painful way. In the core of the madness, he thought of something ludicrous, a insane, crazy little thought:

 _I can do this._

He could feel her screaming " _Yes!_ ", pushing him with whatever witchcraft she had in her. Was she pulling his aura out by force? Was it some unholy symbiosis of aura? Did it matter? Pyrrha Nikos was helping him, encouraging him. She commanded him to dispatch that Alpha, to break through that wall. She reinforced him, every fiber and every movement of his being.

It was _inhuman_. It was _wrong_. Something deep down within him knew that he… _they_ had passed a threshold, but with adrenaline and heart surging, he did not care. She cheered him on, finding joy in every blow he deflected, every Grimm he defeated. Her voice was almost a hiss, breathless, with how eager she was to see him move forward and endure.

 _"_ Yes _, **yes**! _ Just like that, Jaune. Let _ nothing _stop you, _nothing _ stand in your way! Keep going! _**End them!** "_

The sea serpent that was watching Jaune seemed to recognize the growing threat and released a terrified screech followed by a torrent of stone-cutting water, but its ranged attack just gave Jaune a chance to jump forward, underneath the jetstream. Before the monster had a chance to recover, Jaune had arrived.

Nora Valkyrie would have definitely died by now, if not for Jaune's second wind. She was stuck, barely surviving against the proddings of one of the sea-demons by deflecting its lunges with perfectly timed hammer swings, all the while dispatching the Grimm around her. Jaune had no idea how she had been able to find equilibrium and stand her ground against two Jormungands. But she had. In spite of all of the fear and doubt and exhaustion the Grimm tasted from her, there was only defiance on her face. A true legend, Jaune knew.

The pain felt good now, no weakness he could feel, thanks to the endorphin coursing through his veins. He was grinning, in spite of the terrible world around him, suddenly immune to the fear. After fighting so much darkness for so much of his life, these two big worms suddenly didn't phase him in the slightest. The lashing tail of sea serpent only served to be a stepping stone for JNPR's leader, as he sunk his sword into the skin and hung onto the tail as it thrashed about. The creature screamed and launched forward to meet Jaune head on, only to miss him completely as he detached from the beast and charged forth at the Grimm threatening his teammate.

He felt incredibly stupid, throwing his sword, but his brash confidence was rewarded as it stuck straight into the snake's infernal eye, watching it writhe away from Nora, skywards, to escape and recuperate.

Nora saw what happened, and saw him, as well as the hissing monster that followed him, rearing back for an attack. He raised his shield. He had only one command.

"NAIL IT!"

Nora followed the order on instinct and conditioning: like they had done so many times in the past, she used her leader's shield as a launching pad, following the blinded Grimm up into the sky.

Jaune twisted around and _punched the two-ton snake_.

More like an uppercut, really. He spun around and ducked lower than he could ever imagine, bringing his shield around with massive momentum before clocking it straight on the underside of the Grimm's gaping jaw, snapping its mouth shut and barely avoiding the brunt of the lunge.

Still, he was blown back, knocked to the ground and stuck staring skywards. He could hear the explosion and the crash of something massive being brought down to earth. He moved slowly, getting on all fours to see the Jormungand snake around and lunge at him once again.

But it was too slow. Ren had arrived and intercepted it about ten meters out, blocking the fangs, and the attack, while pushing the quiet warrior back all the way to Jaune's haggard body, petered out.

There was a quiet, miserable growl, as if the enormous creature knew what was going to happen next, staring into the unamused glare of JNPR's stoic hunter. Ren snapped the meter long incisors, tearing them out and in one fluid motion, planting one straight through the roof of the snake's mouth. The creature seized up and pulled away, torn between attacking and recuperating. The other fang flew straight into its throat, forcing out a gasp.

And then Nora fell on it. Hammer first.

Jaune stood up, smiling as the last of the great beasts fell to the earth. No fear, no anger. Righteousness. Confidence. Resolve. Ren brandished his pistols and Nora landed on all fours in front of the two, Team JNPR reunited and ready for whatever was next.

"The signal's been sent," Jaune announced, looking at the evaporating monsters and to the treeline, "We duck out, _now_."

The darkness assaulted them every step of the way, as Team JNPR recovered Jaune's sword and fled into the foliage, as the hunters rushed through Patch, past Taiyang's house and Signal Academy and out towards the Western Cliffs of the island. Out at the very edge, sat the last transport, with a stoic set of hunters waiting.

The Grimm wanted to rob them of that happy ending. But try as they might, the hopeless and soulless could no longer touch Team JNPR.

Jaune would not allow it.

* * *

End Chapter


	7. Promise Me, Please?

Part 7

* * *

Promise Me, Please?

* * *

Pyrrha Nikos was gentle with her kisses; small little blossoms of warmth that she lovingly planted up and down Jaune's frame as he drifted into restful sleep. Meticulously, she tended to his wounds, not once causing him pain, only a euphoric, painless burn which her lips left behind.

Now she whispered sweet things to him always, subtly reinforcing him and dispelling any sort of doubts that once existed. Her voice was like incantation, slow, deliberate and passionate, every syllable a testament of her affection. Part of him was uncomfortable by the closeness, but the simple sound of her voice, echoing from the beyond, made him shiver: his world brightening with her presence, dulling the pain of existence.

They were together. Nothing else mattered.

* * *

In contrast, his patience wore thin with those around them. The cautions and fears of his friends had begun to irritate him: not a single hunter died in the defense of Patch, and now the world was united against the dark instigator that was "Salem". Yet they still harbored doubts: the root cause of all of this nonsense.

Of course, he wasn't mad at them, just impatient. Their trip to Vacuo was less of a celebration and more of a standard journey, full of glances behind the back and eyes trained on the horizon.

Still, Jaune had grown up, and his perceptions weren't as limited as they once were: if they weren't already, Nora and Ren were practically inseparable throughout the day, and just as close through the night. Jaune was happy for the two, despite the lingering jealousy of their intimacy. To drown his petty but unavoidable vices, he kept his eyes trained on the road ahead, for his next chance to seize glory. It was his latest obsession.

* * *

Team RWBY caught up quickly, in what turned out to be one of the silliest moments Jaune had experienced in years. It was a miracle Coco hadn't turned Ruby into swiss cheese the moment the red-hooded girl came blazing out of the shrubbery to tackle Jaune into a playful headlock, taking everyone by surprise.

After that it was a long period of rest and recollection, as the teams took turns telling the latest news, and then finally going over what would be done in the future. One by one groups bowed out, content with their parts to play, until JNPR and RWBY stood alone, the closest out of all of the academy teams (which they were proud to claim).

Of course, team RWBY wasn't going to like what he had to say, but Jaune knew that he couldn't put off Nora's request again. And damnit, they were qualified!

* * *

"But you're not qualified," Blake argued in her defensive tone, "Fighting the White Fang operatives, other hunters? Sure, you've had your scrapes…"

"...but aura to aura combat? Are you sure your semblances will be effective enough?" Weiss continued.

"Uh, yeah?" Nora countered.

A momentary pause as everyone looked at one another.

"You're… gonna have to back that up," Yang answered with a weak grin, "Like, I'd love to go cracking with you, but Cindy and Merc and the rest of them… They just don't play fair."

"Then how about a spar?" Ren offered, "Us three paired against Weiss, Blake, and Yang. I believe that would help us define how effective our combative strength is."

"We… were kinda thinking about rushing ahead to Vacuo to prepare the city and investigate the Sandscape Library." Ruby announced apologetically.

"You guys can hold back a couple of days, can't you?" Jaune pushed back, "You need your rest."

Another pregnant pause...

"Well, a spar isn't really a fight." Blake complained, "There's always some bullshit way they try and put us on the back foot. And they're always going for the kill, I just don't think it's safe to put you guys out in the front like that. Maybe you can-"

"There isn't anything else we can do but get onto the front lines. We've been waiting to do this for ages, you guys know this! Let's do the spar, c'mon," Jaune shot back.

"Don't tell me they're doubting you."

The irritation in Pyrrha's voice was mirrored in Jaune's mind. Of course, he wasn't mad at them for the doubts, but it hurt all the same. The way that they glanced at one another, then looked to Ruby for help and guidance.

"We're not kids," he added awkwardly, "we're completely fine with the risks. We aren't afraid, we aren't in over our heads about this."

Ruby wasn't even looking him in the eye as she skirted the issue.

"I know you guys have done a really good job, we aren't stupid, it's just that..."

 _No magical words for me, huh?_ Jaune thought bitterly, wishing that Ruby would stop relying on her teammates for advice, especially when they were downplaying JNPR's strength so baselessly.

"Well? Well what?"

"Jaune…" Yang began, but Pyrrha spoke over her in Jaune's mind.

"Don't let her push you around."

The swordsman decided to wave the golden-haired girl down. It was a step in the wrong direction, because that brought Blake back into the exchange.

"Hold on, you can't just wave us off!" the black-haired faunus interjected in defense of her partner, "She has a point to make."

"Fight _back_ , Jaune. Don't let them stop you."

Pyrrha's voice had become a growl, angry and protective over Jaune's position. Almost hateful: almost enough for Jaune to lash out.

"I want to hear it from Ruby. This is a talk from team leader to team leader." he growled angrily.

That grumpy response certainly didn't pass well over any of the other members of Team RWBY. Weiss was steamed beyond measure and Blake was as cross as she could be. But Ruby pacified them with a glance and an outstretched hand, and they obeyed and left.

Nora left with an awkward, weakened smile. Ren stood there, looking at Jaune in the most peculiar way, almost conflicted.

"Well?"

"Sorry." Ren muttered apologetically, bowing slightly and following Nora. Yang was heard venting out loud about Jaune as the friends reached the bottom of the hill.

Ruby looked at Jaune, with the tender and gentle complexion that Ruby always wore, motioning him to walk out towards the hills and away from the camp.

"Alright. Let's talk."

* * *

The felsic hills leading into Vacuo's sun-bleached domain were beautiful and nearly devoid of trees. It was a rather relaxing biome for a hunter to travel through: easy to spot Grimm moving out in the distance, and always a beautiful sunset to stare at in the lingering hours of day.

They spent their time scuttling up and down the rocky, clay streaked ridges, grumpily trading barbs all the way: Jaune for Ruby disagreeing, Ruby for Jaune offending her teammates. But by the time they reached the third ridge, the resentment had abated between the two.

"So, doctor, how is she?"

Jaune rolled his eyes at Ruby's dramatic joke as he peered at the edge of Crescent Rose. As someone who had spent hours polishing and maintaining the antique armors of the Arc bloodline, he became the go-to appraiser of Beacon Academy, maintaining the edges of a number of swords and weapons. Now that factory-made, en masse spears and swords were hard to come by, breaking your weapons out in the wilderness was now a lethal error. Because of this new reality, hunters and huntresses had to learn how to take care of their weapons by themselves, like their ancestors before them.

Which was fine, considering that RWBY already looked after their weapons diligently, borderline obsessively in Ruby's case. But still, Jaune's skill was to be respected above all others. When someone needed some advice or special care, they went to Jaune.

"You have a little chip on the side, here. Most of the damage is on the apparatus and not the blade so that's a plus… But still, so much wear at the edge… as always."

Ruby laughed nervously as she inspected fiddled with Crocea Mors, spinning it like a top against the rocky soil.

"Still gotta stop stabbing the ground for balance…"

"Yeah, yeah you should stop that." Jaune agreed, carefully turning Crescent Rose over to check the other side once again.

"...But doesn't that tell you enough? Look at my baby…"

Jaune sighed at Ruby's point. Crescent Rose was most certainly torn up, dents and cuts marring the tough, compact device. Ruby had been forced to recreate Crescent Rose after a number of harsh encounters, each time making the device tougher and resistant to damage, heavier for impact and sharper.

Much, much sharper. It was strange, looking at a device that used to be so inviting, so cartoonish when she first produced it in front of him at the steps of beacon. That was a weapon.

This was something worse. No matter how much love Ruby put into her companion, no matter how alike Crescent Rose v6 was to its predecessors, it was more of a tool of death than a weapon. The razor edge could slice right through metal like butter with the right technique. The fact that the device was this beat up spoke volumes as to what RWBY had been fighting in the past week.

"You haven't really refurbished or replaced the blade in a while though. The last time was before the trip to Atlas, right?"

"Yeah, so?"

"So?! It's been out on the field for like an age, Ruby. Of course it's going to look crappy."

"Rose doesn't look crappy…" Ruby pouted quietly to herself.

"Well it does, and yeah, I get your point. But you can't just show me a beaten up scythe-rifle and tell me that it's too dangerous for me and the gang."

"It's not that you aren't…" Ruby said before giving up trying to articulate, "You don't understand."

"No, you don't understand! Moral isn't high with my team, Ruby. It's getting worse. Something needs to change."

"Nobody even died at Patch."

"So we're counting that as a victory now? When nobody dies?"

"Jaune…"

"Ruby, Nora's at the edge. Have you even seen her?"

"She-"

"You haven't even spent two weeks with her, Ruby."

"I.. I know." Ruby sighed, conflicted and somber, "Is she torn up that bad?"

Jaune felt pained at seeing Ruby's slow realization.

"She was almost on my level, Rubes."

" _Crap_."

Jaune had to chuckle at that, but Ruby didn't share the enthusiasm.

"Emerald's back."

Jaune glanced at Ruby, disbelief flooding over his features. It translated into his humorless response:

"What?"

"She's back. I… I don't know. I just don't know anymore." Ruby answered despondently.

"How is that _possible_ , Ruby? Wasn't Emerald-"

"Look - I saw the wound she took before Mercury scooped her up. I know more than anyone when someone is dead and I have no idea…"

Ruby craned her neck to the sky and groaned.

"We've lost so many people. And when we finally strike back and score... they just recover, like nothing ever happened?!"

"Then you need us more than ever." Jaune added, trying to steer the topic back into his court.

"Jaune it's not that simple! They broke the rules again! Just when we thought we had them all figured out… every time we think we can get a victory, they ruin it! And… It's starting to wear thin on my team, too. Now that Emerald's back..."

Ruby looked at Jaune with an honest face: full of apprehension and doubt.

"I... We're scared. We thought we were on equal footing and then they just turned it on us. Again. Now my teammates are afraid of what they'll do next. The next blow may be too much for us, and if you guys were to tag along… That's why they were so harsh. Please, try to understand."

Jaune thought long and hard, while Ruby's gaze fell back to the ground. Pyrrha watched his thoughts carefully and Jaune could feel her intensity, her desire to speak. But that was impossible.

"We know loss, Ruby... Nora, Ren, they can't just sit still anymore, even if that means death."

"But…"

"The end is inevitable."

"It's inevitable, Ruby. It happens to all of us."

"But…"

"She's afraid for her teammates."

Jaune frowned at the whisper, how it echoed in his mind. He hoped it wasn't true.

"Is it Weiss and the others? Are you scared for them?"

That got Ruby to look up, and her face told Jaune enough.

"You have to be kidding me, Ruby! You should be thankful that your team has stayed together this long!"

Ruby nodded, aware of RWBY's miraculous track record.

"You're the last of the teams that's actually stayed alive, fighting against the absolute worst of the worst. Coco and Velvet, you ever think what they feel? Hell, Cardin and Russel don't even deserve what happened to CRDL. And you're scared that you might lose someone? SSSN is down to one member! One! Neptune's all alone, Ruby!"

"Well, then you guys have been lucky too!"

"Lucky?!" Jaune gasped in surprise, "We've been _lucky_? How so?!"

"Well… JNPR hasn't lost..."

Ruby faltered again, before shutting down completely, lacking the will to finish that sentence, realizing just how stupid her argument would have been. Jaune realized he was close to a breakthrough.

"Let us help: Let's make the best of it while we're still alive. So what if it's dangerous? We're used to that sort of stuff!"

He gave her the confidant, silly and stupid grin that he always used to wear around Beacon. A brave face for a worried friend.

There was a moment of silence.

"I just don't want anyone else to suffer." Ruby said, presenting Jaune with the hilt of his sword. He folded up Crescent Rose V.6 and mirrored the exchange.

"It would hurt us more if we couldn't be there for you, Ruby. Please..."

Ruby just pulled him close and buried her face into his shoulder, interrupting his proposition. Jaune could feel the heat of water seep through his attire as he realized that he had brought the leader to tears with his pushing and prodding.

"You don't understand, Jaune." Ruby said, her voice muffled and buried against Jaune's clothes, "It's not about me, or Weiss, or Blake or Yang... I don't want to lose anyone else. Not you, not Ren, Nora, anybody. I don't think I have it in me. I'd… I'd rather die than to let someone else fall. But… that's out of my hands, isn't it?"

"Ruby..."

Jaune scarcely returned the embrace before the crimson warrior pushed away, wiping away her eyes and putting on a brave face. The momentary display of weakness gone, and nobody but Jaune would know of it: It would remain secret, confidential knowledge between the two team leaders. As always.

Ruby's voice was composed as she moved on from her emotional outburst.

"Jaune, we'll have our teams spar. I'm certain you guys will prove to be more than capable to join us against Salem. We'll rest up at Vacuo and then move against them together."

"Alright."

"Under one condition."

Jaune paused, momentarily, realizing that there was more to this deal.

"If it all goes to hell… You get everyone else out, understand?"

"Ruby..."

"Promise, Jaune."

Pyrrha's hummed happily at the result.

"You know what to do, love."

"I promise."

They settled the dispute and made their way back to the team, where grumpy Yang and judgmental Blake glared and scorned Jaune for his rude outburst. He was above all of it, though, and apologized his way back onto their good sides - and soon the hatchet was buried. All was good, he had what he wanted, a chance for glory and an way to protect his friends.

And all it cost him was a lie.

* * *

End Chapter


	8. The Calm Which Comes Before

Part 8

* * *

The Calm Which Comes Before

* * *

Jaune wasn't stupid, alright? Well, he wasn't _that_ stupid, ok?

He knew it was weird, dangerous even, to let some ethereal, clearly unnatural presence lead him through the motions of life, influence him on the most intimate level of the soul. Her manipulations had become so much more fundamental, her soft, hypnotic words finishing his sentences and thoughts for him, as she guided him through the dark world of Remnant. And despite this tampering, Jaune followed her commands without any concern, only relief.

Because Pyrrha Nikos had given him everything. She had found him in what may have been his darkest hour, and acted as some sort of bright light that he could follow and find safety in. She trained him and taught him everything he knew as a hunter. She had raised him up from his own blind self-destruction and gave him purpose, and even in her passing, these embers persisted, her lessons and hopes that she placed unto Jaune the precious memories that kept him moving forward. He did so much for her, to ensure that her death wasn't just another hunter lost to the dark tide: She deserved so much more than that.

Her sudden resurgence freed him from that burden - yet he still wanted her to understand. To show her how far he had survived, how much he had toiled for her. That her lessons had not fallen on deaf ears: That she had mattered.

So when she asked, he happily let her pull close, willing to share with her his soul and destiny.

* * *

Weiss was a powerful opponent, with a formidable arsenal of glyph enhanced maneuvers that made her a complete enigma to predict.

But as they trained, traveling to and settling into the sun-scorched city of Vacuo, Jaune realized that her expansive ability was also her weakness. Activating a golden marking of haste meant she wanted to challenge someone's blade-work - black etchings that debilitated movements often led to bright white glyphs of speed and velocity, as Weiss tried to outmaneuver her opponent. While her tactics weren't predictable, they were certainly telegraphed - and Jaune soon learned to react in time.

He wouldn't say it, since their spars always ended in both of them at the end of their aura. He gave her the benefit of the doubt, since she and her team-mates would be able to do things beyond their usual capabilities thanks to the miraculous properties of her glyphs. But Pyrrha did not believe in doubt.

"You're better than her."

* * *

Vacuo was dismal, and Jaune was glad that he had taken Nora's advice and convinced Ruby that JNPR was ready to partake in the offensive. Instead of languishing in this dry heat, trying to protect the city from Grimm and maintain social order, Jaune was doing the final checks through the supplies they would be taking to the abandoned continent.

Water purifying tablets, water pumps, water canteens.

Gauze, rubbing alcohol, sealant, more gauze.

Rounds upon rounds of ammunition, pink grenades to flechette rounds to hollow point.

Some of the finest cut dust he had ever seen. How Weiss had managed to salvage these priceless resources, Jaune had no idea.

Antibiotics, painkillers, sleep aids, and simple little white pills. Fuck those little white pills. Why pack them?

Jaune went through each and every pack one last time as the transport hummed beside him, ready to lift off of the ground. The rest of the team went about the city, making final calls and saying last goodbyes.

"Last goodbyes? Psh.."

Jaune chuckled as he strapped the last buckle together, taking a seat and looking at the city behind him, anticipating the arrival of his friends.

He had once thought it was all going to go to hell around him: that he would be stuck as the witness to the glorious collapse and destruction of his friends. He had counted himself insignificant and unable to protect anything.

Pyrrha saved him from that stupid mindset as well. Nobody was going to die, and he would make sure of it.

He looked down from the sandy landscape of Vacuo and at the map clutched in his right hand. Each of them would have a set of maps detailing the forgotten continent in case they were split up. How militant. Jaune even snuck a pitch black, lethal-looking kabar onto his sack in a rush of special operatives excitement. Strange how in the eve of such life-threatening journeys, he never felt more powerful. It reminded him of the time he left home. In the pitch of night, stealing Crocea Mors from its glass display and running out into the dirt road that led towards the main road and the airport. He had never felt more alive that night, adrenaline surging through his veins as he ran off: a thief and a rebel, lying into an institution he had no place in, carrying a weapon he had no right to wield. It was the most ridiculous and reckless of ideas that got the blood moving, where fear and passion wrestled for dominance. Pyrrha seemed to swoon at those moments, when Jaune was at his bravest and brashest.

And what was more brash than trying to take on the most lethal landscape known throughout Remnant's history?

The Desolate Land, Forgotten World, the Abandoned Continent, or as Jaune liked to call it to his friends' chargin, Dragon Isle. The literature in the Sandscape library of Vacuo had pointed to this unoccupied land as the common denominator in the knowledge revolving around the red-eye mark. The unforgiving and outright sinister nature of the landmass only added to the evidence: any established military outposts had been quickly overrun in weeks, the activity of Grimm the strangest and most terrifying Jaune had ever heard of. Traveling the High Road of Mantle was like a child's trip to the candy store compared to this undertaking.

True, there were some other mysterious and obscure locations in the world of Remnant that could fit the bill, but if there was an evil sinister lair of pure evil, this would be prime real estate. The plan was to sweep the core of the continent, in an attempt to pick up the trail of Cinder, or better yet, her superior. Awareness was key: in such a hostile environment they would have to expect an attack at any moment, ready to deal with any sort of offensive with no warning whatsoever-

"Nervous?"

Ren had arrived out of nowhere, as mysterious and punctual as always - Jaune was certain it had something to do with the gunslinger's semblance, but Ren was very quiet, humble and personal about his abilities. It was just something that everyone all got used to: JNPR's mediator always arrived at least fifteen minutes early, out of nowhere.

That didn't stop Jaune from flinching in surprise, blinking three times before figuring out a response.

"Not... really, just looking through our supplies one last time, and checking out the planned route," Jaune replied, as Ren sat down, cross-legged, on the other side of the spread map.

"I see..." Ren murmured, quietly following Jaune's gaze onto the map, to figure out what Jaune was musing over.

"So, uh, pretty flat land we'll be working with, huh?" Jaune offered, aware of Ren's interest.

"For the first couple days," Ren answered, "Then we'll start on the slopes of Shadow Spine, and our travel will get much more strenuous: Lots of ridges, volcanic flows, dust deposits, Grimm…"

"You figure that's where we'll find this… 'Salem' character?"

"Would be the most likely location." Ren stated.

"And you would know," Jaune joked, "being a nefarious mastermind, and all…"

Ren's deadpan roll of the eyes reminded him who he was joking with. Jaune chuckled at Ren's impassive demeanour, then looking out over the city to spy any other approaching members of RWBY.

"You know… you're certainly in a good mood, Jaune."

Strange, for Ren to start a conversation with such a loaded statement. The way Ren said it was so positive and sincere, but Ren exuding positivity? Strange.

"Well, better be positive above all else, right?"

"Of course, of course. I'm glad you're in good spirits..." Ren interrupted as he corrected himself, trying to dial back on the awkward conversation starter.

Jaune had to chuckle at the situation.

"Is that so hard to believe, Jaune Arc being happy?"

Ren smiled in a knowing sort of way, as if they were both in on the joke.

"Can't blame me for doubting, can you?"

Jaune groaned as he let his feet push out loose gravel and sand into small little clumps.

"Jeez, was I so bad? How long is everyone gonna keep me to this?"

"It was ridiculous," Ren admitted, "... but it was subtle. I lost count of how many times you snuck out at night..."

Jaune winced, realizing that his secret wasn't so secret. Ren continued:

"...But we all need to deal with it our own ways. Keeping it in only worsens things. You sure you're good?"

Jaune returned the earnest grin.

"Yeah. I'm good."

Silence.

"..."

"Well, how about we get things ready to fly?"

* * *

Everything checked out for the bicopter, its fuel and dust reserves all filled to the brim. The packs sat clipped to the spartan metal benches in the interior, the black nylon of the transport's harnesses dangling over them. Stickers with the individual emblems of RWBY and JNPR distinguished the packs: all eight of them slouched on their benches, waiting for their respective owners. Pyrrha had reached out to her own designated bag at least 3 times before retreating back into Jaune's skin, sullen and hurting. Her voice was strange and negative for a moment, so jaded by bitterness, frustration and want.

" _Damn_."

Jaune opened his mouth to empathize with his partner, but Ren had other plans.

"So how'd you do it?"

"Do what?" Jaune echoed, looking out into the cityscape and spying a fleck of red bound off of one of the buildings in the distance.

"Well, you know… Get the 'mojo' back?"

Jaune thought for a moment, long and hard. He couldn't just say that his partner still existed, obviously, but…

"Well, after all of those questions, I guess I finally found an answer I could make peace with."

"Hm."

The red flash got hopped closer, from rooftop to rooftop, closely followed by a bolt of white lightning. Faintly echoing of the walls of the city was the cantankerous growl of Yang's motorcycle, growing slowly out in the distance.

"Why does RWBY always do this?" Jaune sighed, "Making such a scene just to get through the city…"

"You should move over for Nora."

"...Damnit."

Jaune grabbed the map and rolled three times over to his right, just in time to avoid the impact of Nora's arrival. The sledgehammer folded up neatly on her back and electricity sparking out to pepples and random objects: Nora was amped to the point where Jaune worried about safety of the bicopter's electronics…. and its fuel supply.

"I win!" Nora roared back towards team RWBY, before spinning around jubilantly and addressing the two hunters in a singsong, Nora-rific way.

"Gooooooooooooooooooooooood morning you two! How's the prep!?"

"Your stuff is inside." Ren answered, to Nora's glee. She zoomed inside the transport, ruffling Ren's hair as she went. Ren grinned and flashed his teeth in his restrained Ren-ish way, but as he turned back to Jaune, his humor tapered down once more. Serious.

"Sorry for being so inquisitive, Jaune. We haven't gotten much time between the two of us lately, and you know… You know you can talk to me, about anything. Don't be a stranger."

"Yeah." Jaune responded, with a bit of a tired, telling smile breaking out on his face as he got to his feet. He felt bad about keeping this secret, unable to share the knowledge. He felt guilty for trying to obscure Ren from the truth.

He felt nervous as well, suspicious even, eager to just bury this topic and never have it brought up again, no matter how open or willing Ren was to talk about it.

Luckily, Ruby arrived to end the talk for good, skidding to a stop with Crescent Rose V.7 digging into the ground, grumbling as she jerked it out of the ground and walked to the group.

"We said no weapons, Noraaaaa…"

"Sorry, Rubes, but there was such a breeze up there: I saw the opportunity, and I just HAD to take it." Nora apologized without a hint of guilt or sincerity in her voice.

"Using the good old grenade-propulsion-at-the-peak-of-a-thunder-charged-jump?" Jaune guessed in an attempt to understand what Nora had done, and the thunder child's beaming expression confirmed the suspicion.

Yang's motorcycle hopped over the crest of the hill and screeched to a stop, sputtering as the gold-haired huntress eased her baby over to a designated parking location where it would be reclaimed by Neptune after they had left. Blake clutched onto Yang for a good four paces after dismounting the motorcycle, before pouncing off and shaking the nerves and adrenaline out of her system. Weiss landed next to her team-mates and fell into formation as the three huntresses closed the distance to the bicopter and the two leaders.

"Cheater!" Yang remarked with unimpressed sigh, but clearly in the good-Yang sort of way. Wide-eyed Blake was still shivering slightly as she passed Yang, Ren, Jaune and the rest to walk straight into the transport, still in shock and searching for solitude.

"All of our supplies are packed, I presume?" Weiss asked expectantly, addressing Jaune directly. Jaune and Ren nodded in affirmation.

"Alright then, teams! Meeting in the hold!" Ruby announced jovially as she followed Blake.

* * *

With their packs at the ready, the young hunters sat on the metal benches of the helicopter, the anticipation and excitement paradoxically causing an resonating, silencing stillness.

Then, after talking with Air Traffic Control, Ruby returned from the cockpit and took the center stage. With her cheerful yet virulently determined demeanour and piercing silver eyes, the apprehension evaporated. Jaune had missed being under her command, following her split-second judgements and rallying words. She was a natural at leadership: from the Battle of Beacon to the Mistrali Incident to the Siege of Atlas, Ruby's ability to instill bravery and conviction was uncanny. Even as the citadel of Vacuo disappeared over the horizon and the transport flew over the turbulent sea, everyone remained comfortable and at ease.

She did her job well, going over the details of the mission and affirming that this one would be the mission. But, for some strange reason, the nostalgic hope didn't feel so uplifting as it once had been.

"Its sad, Jaune. Its hurts to see them like this."

So Jaune looked away from his anesthetized friends and out of the plane's small rectangular window, watching the continuous ripples and ridges that rose and fell beneath the transport. He hated to admit it, but he understood how Pyrrha felt. It was true.

"To see them so dependent on someone else's resolve."

It was strange to listen to Pyrrha pitying the group, since she was... _dead_. Jaune smiled at the humorously dark thought, and his unearthly companion tittered at the notion.

"Not you, though. You're grown beyond that. Stronger than them."

Wrong. Yang, Weiss, Ruby, Blake, Ren and Nora were all much, much stronger than him. Sometimes he wondered how Pyrrha developed such a complex over him. But that was a silly, frivolous doubt which carried no meaning or importance - her words however, her words made his heart shiver as if it was being caressed. That was proof enough: her words were truth.

"You don't need her confidence, or their support."

He could feel her hands pass over his eyes, compelling him to drift and lose consciousness. He felt her lips drag up his neck and settle next to his ear, a gentle show of affection that he had grown accustomed to. Soon all he could hear was his enamored heartbeat, and her sweet voice lulling him to sleep and comfort. Pyrrha was right once again, and rest was the best thing he could do to prepare. They could be going for days without sleep. Ruby herself had said it.

"You're thriving, free of the fear. And I'll helping you every step of the way, love."

"Just hold me close. Listen to me."

"Trust me."

* * *

End Chapter


	9. Into Ash

Part 9

* * *

 **Into Ash**

* * *

The sun had stumbled by the time they reached land, the reign of darkness absolute and indifferent. At least the blackness helped obscure their arrival, so Ren brought the craft down without any fuss, in a crudely barricaded and abandoned outpost torn apart decades ago.

Apparently, it was a listening outpost created by the Atlesian military during the Color War, built quietly on a rugged and rocky peninsula in what was considered a defensible position. The jagged breaches in the forty-foot walls, the claw marks that cut inches deep into the concrete, the shattered, battered, twisted guns and weapons told the rest of the sorrowful tale. One of the many monuments of truth that riddled the forsaken land - nothing human lasted long in this realm.

And we're going to be backpacking here, Jaune thought with a hysterical tint, realizing that not even a dragon could have breached the defenses in such a way. Something much more massive cleaved these walls.

As Blake and Nora covered the transport in camouflage fabric, Jaune ducked into what he assumed was the command station of the outpost, only to discover a tangled mess of metal and concrete. He stared at the clawed and soot-scorched walls and mangled, old school electronics, and chuckled quietly at the overturned and yet unbroken chair. It was almost like a museum exhibit, an incoherent jumble of broken props, but the acidic tang of oil and corrosion that lingered in the air gave it authenticity.

But no blood. How strange and disturbing.

But the few minutes of curiosity ended quickly. The base was sweeped and their transport obscured, and the hunters rushed out into the moonlit world. Expecting the worst...

* * *

And found only silence.

* * *

Emptiness.

* * *

 ** _Nothing_**. The trees stood petrified in the white moonlight, the twigs and grasses still and stony. They crossed a stream and Jaune swore it made no noise, more oil or viscous slime than water. No wind stirring the leaves or echoing across the sky: It was as if time had stopped, and only him and his comrades were left alive.

A perfect example of apocalypse. Hell, had it happened while they were flying?

It was unsettling, to hear your own breath, and only your breath. Jaune thought back to an article he had read about absolute silence and it's malicious properties, but he never realized how much of it was true. He had taken the world for granted: the constant clash of sound and movement was rife in every scene, from his family's fields to the frosted tundra of Atlas to the cluttered streets of Vale. No matter where you walked on Remnant, the same sound of life seemed to shimmer and pulse. Here, there was nothing.

All he could do was strain and suffer as the trees grew numerous around them, their pasty, ashy brown turning pitch black as they blocked out the moon's glow.

"A forest in decay..."

Jaune saw it too, the trees starving by the soil and poisoned from the air. This soft ash that drifted gently down and coated the forest floor; the detritus of eruptions, cataclysms, and other events of great magnitude. Jaune took the moment to scale one of the monolithic trees during a pause in their journey.

Nothing but trees, towards every horizon.

No identifiable source of this sickly, oily sediment. A residue of dust that seemed to cling and congeal, preserve and glue. It would be hell to wash out of his hair, that was certain.

He fell downwards quickly, back to his friends. The young hunter pulled close and found sanctuary in his comrades.

"Can't even go a hundred yards without thinking that I'm turning to stone." He whispered, his voice echoing out silently into the world, as profound and unprecedented as a scream.

"Yeah." Blake whispered back, "It's… disturbing, isn't it?"

"Thatsssss _such_ an understatement," Nora sassed as she jabbed her finger at Blake, "This is a whole new level of bad."

"Qrow managed to travel across this alone?" Jaune muttered.

"Explains how Raven's skin is so pale." Yang added, rubbing the strange dust between her fingers.

Blake's eyes widened.

"Oh... I'm taking the longest bath when I get back."

The rest of the group smiled and tittered with the statement, but before long they had finished their food and consolidated their strength. Just like that, they were moving once again, quietly tormented by the sound of nothing.

The sun was already shining by then, but funnily enough Jaune preferred the dark. The sun was abrasive, cruel, and blinding. Every figment and mote was illuminated and reflective, hard on the eyes and hazy, standing out and demanding attention. The plastery shade of the trees relented as shards of harsh light jabbed down from the canopy, burning patches on the ground.

Thankfully, just as the team of hunters began to travel out of the clogging shade of the woods, the sun was already sinking back down the horizon, its sharp beams arcing skywards in some vain and spiteful attempt to scorch the sky.

But the shattered moon reclaimed the sky without any complaints. The shadows reigned supreme once again, the gentle suffocation of the darkness so comforting in comparison to the violent light of day.

And still not a single monster to welcome them. Not a single soul.

"So weird." Yang grumbled.

"Very weird." Blake added.

"TOO. WEIRD." moaned Nora, mental state more frazzled and antsy than usual.

"Grimm are attracted to negativity... Maybe we're being too positive?" Weiss joked, her ponytail swaying as she came to a halt with the rest of the group.

"Grimm aren't afraid of good feelings," Jaune responded with shrug, deadpanning Weiss's attempt at humor, "It's not like our mood is some repellant to them."

"Stands to reason that this unnatural continent has… Unnatural properties." Ren reminded the group, fastening a canteen onto Nora's backpack after taking a swig.

"Stay alert, then. We know there's more to this place, so there's no excuse for getting caught off guard." Ruby reminded the teams.

So they moved forward, despite the silent, foreboding emptiness of the land. Powdered, skeletal soil turned into waxy plates of muscovite and biotite, a glassy, obsidian plain that stretched out towards mountains in the horizon.

"Can we make it before sunrise?" Jaune whispered to Ruby. Daytime in a plain would give them away with a single glance. This was a risk.

"We can."

"But what if they're waiting for on the mountains? We'd be caught exhausted."

Ruby was frowning, staring out into the flat-lands and thinking of an answer.

"We'd be warmed up for the fight."

Jaune just didn't want to risk it. Part of him hated taking risks. Part of him was always against these crazy ideas, these crazy thoughts. It was the part that made him throw up in the airship headed to Beacon. Always a voice of clarity and disgust, drowned out by passion.

Don't falsify that record. Don't steal Crocea Mors. Don't lie to them. Stop lying. Just withdraw. Stop being so dependent on her. Why bother with love. Stay focused. Stay calm. Get over it. Get over her. Don't do anything rash. Stop lying.

And right now, that voice sighed: Don't you dare fucking charge across this lowland, moron.

It was a voice that reminded him he was sane, but at the same time powerless. And now even more weak, dependent on a dead woman's comfort:

"It will all be fine."

How could Pyrrha be so certain? Her voice so calming and powerful, pushing him forward against his wishes? How he wished these questions to stop, so he could focus on her.

"Alright, let's go."

And so they recklessly charged forth. Into another strange, twisted landscape. A lifeless savanna covered in ice and grime.

"A prairie turned to glass…"

The earth shattered and cleaved at their feet, crunching and splintering noise out into the inert atmosphere every time their feet crashed down on the delicate ground. Jaune winced with every step, this hostile and desolate environment starting to eat away at his psyche.

He felt like he was making some horrible mistake, as usual: behind him was forest, ocean, and home. In front of him were mountain ranges full of darkness, fire and death. The dust seemed to drift down in larger quantities, to the point where the smallest gusts of wind brought forth irritable walls of sand, and Jaune wasn't sure if this was because they were approaching the source of dead dust, or if it was because the ash was blocked out by the trees.

It reminded him of the time he walked on the frozen plateau looming over Atlas, the famous road where thin air and empty stomachs claimed hundreds of lives. But unlike then, there was no Northern Lights to find solace in, no stupid music to drown out the terrifying anxiety of his heart. Only the road ahead, the road home behind, and hallowed ground beneath.

The sky began to brighten, the night sky turning the most comforting shade of navy, a warning that the harsh sunlight was soon to return. By then they had reached the other side of the flats, and found security in the shadow of a massive boulder. They crouched in the shadow as the first beams of light cut through the landscape, reflecting off of the plains stretched out before them to create a shimmering mirror of heat and light. Straight through the picturesque mirage, a discordant line cut its path through the flawless landscape, created by their vandalous journey through the fragile land.

The rest of the group realized the danger as well - anyone with eyes could trace their path to the very rock that they were hiding under like earwigs. So, after a generous pause, they moved out once more, hiding in the shrinking shadows, racing the rise of the infernal sun and its relentless gaze.

It was less running and climbing, more bouldering. The hills wept rock and stone as crystals of dust pushed up out of their cocoons. Sheer walls of thunder, wind and fire glowed dully behind thin layers of sediment and mineral. Three perfect shots from Crescent Rose could release enough energy to vaporize a small town - and these unstable monoliths were...

" _Weiss_!" Jaune hissed, stepping forward to jerk the huntress back. She was transfixed on a purple dust crystal as large as a automobile, so pure that the smallest of scratches could set it off.

"What?" Weiss complained as she stepped back and shrugged off his grip, "I've handled high grade Dust before. As heiress of the Schnee Company I've had extensive experience with raw Dust deposits of this calibr-"

"This ain't Schnee Company," Jaune grumbled as the rest of the group gathered around the two, "and we've passed like forty of these monsters. What's the deal?"

"It's just… this was my father's dream, what the kingdoms tried to harvest." Weiss remarked sadly, "Can you fathom how much power this is? Four of these shards could power Vale for a year… Or level it."

And yet, within a couple hundred yards, at least ten of these massive crystals jutted out from the earth.

"And we've only scratched the surface. We've only passed, like, one range?"

Jaune knew what they were all feeling, and even Pyrrha nestled close to him, quiet and in awe.

"It's the world's biggest dust dig imaginable, sitting out in the sun for anyone to take, and nobody in civilization ever talks about it - no myths, nothing." Yang sighed, raising her hands in a shrug, "Oh, and we've only scratched the surface… yeah Weiss, we know, we know. Veeeerry spooky and depressing and unsettling."

"I'm not depressed!" Weiss pouted hotly, crossing her arms and justifying herself, "I just know it's on everyone's mind, and it's something that needs to be said. We can't just shut up and pretend these aren't here."

"And so it's said," Blake agreed, "It's certainly disturbing just like the rest of this accursed place. Now can we all move on out the highly unstable minefield?"

"That's assuming if it ever ends from here on out." Ren remarked, dropping down to their level.

Blake opened her mouth, before shutting it tightly in thought. When Ren spoke, people thought: and when Ren implied something, it usually was the case. Finally, she spoke.

"Oh _bother_."

* * *

The dust, once white, then grey, was now a uncanny, blackish purple. The sun burned in the distance, white at its core, red expanding, and a cool, purplish hue extending from its skin. The sky was a work of art, and the earth tried to keep up: The mountains seemed carved and sculpted, worn down by strange forces.

Every time they rose over another ridge, the Shattered World and all of its fragmented glory peeked out more and more. Massive formations jutted out over the landscape, amidst fields of dust and crystal. What a beautiful place to be the nexus of such darkness.

A shame they never reached those otherworldly plains, never uncovered the secrets that lay within. That was for another day.

Amidst these hills of iron and dust, which sloped and drooped down as solemnly as standard tombstone, the journeying hunters stopped. Their backs straightened and their eyes narrowed, and labored breathing dropped to a whisper.

And then it was only that accursed silence, the motes of dust now as thick as petals in the breeze, drifting through the valley.

On one side, the heroes.

On the other, a pale figure draped in black. The words were scarcely a whisper, crashing down all around them in suffocating tranquility.

"Welcome, Ruby Rose… we have much to discuss."

* * *

End Chapter


	10. Tempest

Part 10

* * *

 **Tempest**

* * *

"Who are you?" Ruby's voice rang out, as simple and serious as Ironwood's last words.

"Some call me an insurrectionist, others call me a visionary," The white woman replied gently, "I've learned not to bother with names or titles. I am more concerned about character, substance."

" _She's obviously Cinder's leader. Look at the markings..."_ Weiss breathed, making barely any noise at all. Miss Schnee was getting used to the silence, her voice carrying between her circle of friends, not an inch further.

"Is one of your titles 'Salem'?" Ruby announced, bringing her folded weapon out in front of her, ready to deploy.

A soft murmur - the woman had chuckled, but followed the demeaning noise with a more serious, respectful answer.

"There is not much time left in the day, Young Rose. Be wise with your questions and your words: Let us not bother with names, please. There are more pressing matters to discuss."

"But it _is_ a rather pressing matter. It's one that decides if we should _kill_ you or not."

Jaune was rather surprised by the straightforward brutality of Ruby's statement… Though he didn't blame her.

"No, you need not be on name basis in order to murder... I see this is a fruitless discussion. May I offer another?"

A pause of caution and uncertainty, no matter how small, was all that was needed. The woman clapped her hands and danced her fingers together, slowly.

"Then allow me to welcome you, young hunters of Beacon Academy. Team RWBY, Team JNPR. Your history runs deeper than most generals, your skills years ahead of most hunters, new and old. Your conviction… unmatched."

"Soooo glad to be here!" Yang retorted with sharp sarcasm, stretching her left hand in a menacing fashion, "Now what do you want?!"

The woman was unaffected and more interested with the slow intermingling of her fingertips. A faint glow of dust shimmered outward from her hands.

"I want to reach an understanding, Ms. Xiao Long. I have spent much thought on our inevitable rendezvous, and I believe that an agreement can be made."

There was silence among the hunters ranks, but Jaune could taste the spiteful suspicion. Inadequate words to describe this emotion: there was so much hatred-fueled disbelief and incredulity. This was Salem. This was the source of all of their suffering. He wasn't even gripping his weapon, but his hands were clenched tighter than iron.

 _She wanted to come to an_ _ **accord**_ _?!_

Something soothing and warm passed over his hand, compelling his seized fist to loosen.

"Gently, love… _Gently_."

"An agreement," Blake repeated, the doubt in her voice patronizing and biting.

"An agreement is merely an understanding, Ms. Belladonna, nothing more. Not a contract, or a blood oath. I wouldn't have it any other way: I believe in the self-determination of all individuals, above all else."

"So what," Ruby replied flatly.

Salem spread out her arms, excitement visible in her eyes.

"I'd like to point out that you're fighting a war you do not comprehend. Your method and your goal are incompatible. What is your reason for traveling here?"

"To stop you."

"To what ends?"

"To protect the people of Remnant."

"Well, allow me to help you: you have already made two incorrect implications, Ruby:" Salem responded sympathetically,

"First, you assume that I am the root cause to the suffering of Remnant...

...Second, you believe that the death of the kingdoms is the Grimm's fault alone."

"They're. Grimm. It's what... they... do." Ruby enunciated slowly, her face darkening in contrast to Salem's good nature, "And you're controlling them."

"Grimm: They're an inevitability, dear. You should be happy that I give their force direction, reason."

" _So you admit it._ "

"Admit what?"

"That you're killing thousands. Pushing humanity to the brink!"

Salem shook her head slightly, a warm smile on her face as her arms fell to her sides.

"Alas, I told you: I am not the culprit. Think deeper: Do you not understand the reason for this war?"

"Survival."

"It's for _control_ ," Salem corrected with a stern grin and sad eyes, pitying their innocence. "If you all would step aside, let me do my work, not a single drop of human blood would have to be shed! Isn't that what you're fighting for?"

"You're lying," Weiss snapped, utterly unconvinced and resolute.

"Naturally, that is your instinctive conclusion. How about a more novel approach: What does Ozpin want?"

Ruby was quick to answer.

"He wants peace."

"Peace. What a nice _name_ ," Salem sighed sternly, rolling her eyes. "All I care about is substance: What has he _done_?"

"He's trained us, taught us how to protect."

"Hm… Seems to _me_ that he's taught you how to serve his interests: How to fight and to die like pieces on a chessboard. My sweet Rooks and Knights, what happened when he left you at the fall of Beacon? His entire scheme collapsed. Kingdoms warred, people suffered in his absence, without his pyramid scheme, without their king. All about him and his control over people's lives and destinies."

"You're so full of it," Ruby growled, and Crescent Rose snapped to life, expanding outwards and readying for combat. But no rebuke to Salem's criticisms… Something terrifying settled in on Jaune, and the others: Did she have a point?

"Tell that to JNPR," Salem interjected, putting out a hand, telling Ruby to stop. "When Ozpin offered up a rook piece in hopes of securing the power of Fall, what was his goal? Why did he sacrifice Pyrrha Nikos, consign her to such a dreadful end?"

It was an inhuman effort to not scream back at the witch, for bringing up such a sore subject. What a low blow. As fate would have it, Jaune did have some inhuman help. Her voice was like the waters of life to a parched soul's throat.

"Think clearly. Think as you always do, Jaune. Like any other situation. Think _tactically_."

 _Alright then, Pyrrha. Let's look through the lens of a historian, a general, an eagle. Let's understand this battle:_

They were already ensnared in Salem's trap... that much was clear. The woman had not approached them, nor did she stumble upon their intrusion on happenstance. Jaune could feel his friends tremble in fury - this argument only served to anger, insult and demoralize. Salem wanted rash action, hatred and weakness. Negative thoughts. Grimm thoughts.

So calm down. Obviously.

 _But why does she gain, inciting us to attack? Wouldn't she want to gain initiative?_

"When I heard of the young girl's death, I sighed sadly. Just another tragedy facilitated by a spiteful man, clinging to power and control as if it was his by right."

Gods, this… _thing_ was evil. She was looking right at him, a face full of sincere sympathy, eyes maniac and manipulative. She called Ozpin a king, but there are always two in the chess. She saw them as pieces, obstacles to be overcome. He understood then why she stood there, so enticing and vulnerable.

 _She wants us to throw everything we have at her, right her and now, only for it to come up short, useless. She wants to break us; show us that our entire journey up to this point is negligible, the lives lost pointless; extinguish all hope for victory._

Stay calm... Stay-

"Pyrrha wasn't a _**fucking pawn**_!" Nora shouted angrily, obviously the most irate and unstable of the group, seething but rooted firmly in place. Jaune mentally praised her self-control for not charging forward towards death, but felt his spirits fall seeing Salem's eyes brighten.

"But she _**was**_!" Salem screamed back, suddenly rage incarnate. "Just like thousands of good boys and girls, trained to die for their fellow citizens, when in fact they die for puppet-masters and _Council Members_ , for their system of control. The people get nothing except martyrs, examples to follow!"

The fury subsided…

"I was once… hopeful. I once trusted. And for that I was used... 'for the common good'. Yet I persevered. Power cannot be monopolized - eventually the grip loosens. So I bide my time, sowing seeds of _freedom_. Of course: the wise ones are greater manipulators than I. While I project power, they project moral authority: They'll send every child old enough to carry a blade or pull a trigger to stem my advance, to taint my legacy, but their fall is a certainty. And in their place, liberty."

"Really can't take this, coming from a hag that looks half-Grimm herself," Yang spat venomously. "Nice cloak - love that all-seeing red eye of yours. What a _wonderful_ banner of justice."

"Every tale has a bit of truth…" Salem sighed, "...even Summer Rose could see that."

What a loaded statement. Such a calculated, perfect response. Truth or lie, Jaune could feel the impact of the words tear through his friends. Ren and Nora were just as protective and attuned to their friends to know the weight of Summer's name. The suffering was shared amongst them.

Salem cocked her head, enjoying the cold sweat plastering Ruby's brow.

"You all have been led astray, down a path of ruin. But you still have your freedom. You can let me help. You can free yourself from the 'destiny' expected of you, the fate that befell me and your dear friends."

* * *

Jaune's world slowed down, into a familiar bubble of timeless space due to the surge of adrenaline and helplessness. The static in the air was immense, the sort of tension that warned something enormous was fast approaching, something so large that it would echo in their minds for a lifetime.

And, naturally, he would not act - cursed to be the silent observer, relegated to a background character during this decisive moment. Ruby was the leader, and so what would happen next hinged on her judgement, and hers alone. It was frustrating, but at the same time gave relief: if Salem put all of her focus on him, Jaune was sure he'd shatter quickly. Truthfully, Ruby was their best shot at a coherent answer to Salem's ravings, the girl who always had the smartest rebuttal to a villain's diatribe. Ruby was at her best when she served as the moral compass, giving her friends reason to push forward, to resist the doubt and weakness that their enemies tried to instill.

But honestly, he wasn't sure Ruby would be able to do anything to give him hope. He had seen the mountaintops shudder ever so slightly, the earth shift beneath them, and the air around them inhale in quiet anticipation. The trap they had walked into was on a completely different level - beyond anything they could have anticipated. Who could give him hope at a time like this?

"You have me."

Crimson fire grasped him and soothed his skin, and a soft scent of courage washed away the fear. She was there for him, of course, straining the fabric of reality, existing despite all odds and grasping some innermost part of his soul. She tore out his fear, a living lobotomy.

 _Salem isn't even going to call on her human servants to take care of us,_ the truth retorted sullenly. _These hills are our murderers. Countless Dragons and other Grimm, under the surface._ _We didn't learn from Mountain Glenn-_

"Cleave through them and engage Salem."

 _You're mad. Daft. Insane._

"Why not try?"

 _Try, like you tried to stop Cinder? We must flee, not charge to suici-_

Blood-red hands constricted him in a closer embrace, the static between their auras intensifying. Jaune felt the sadness and grief and fear surrender as she shared her hopes and dreams with him, as if they were his own. There was no negativity, thoughts of death. No fear, no anger.

Righteousness. Confidence. Resolve.

"Go forth, love. Glory is seized, not relinquished..."

* * *

Salem was unmoving, silent and enraptured as Ruby delivered an unflinching rebuttal. The sins and crimes of the past are lessons for the students, not life sentences. Our parents weren't saints, our teachers fallible and ignorant, and our leaders and mentors manipulative.

"... But you're an alternative? I fail to see the difference. You've manipulated. You've murdered. You've _justified_."

Ruby spun her scythe back, letting it rest on the ground beside her.

"I see no freedom in you. I see no justice, no liberty. So tell me, who do you answer to? Who do you serve?"

* * *

"Ah, such an intelligent child."-

"But a dead one."

"Let us see, let us see..."

* * *

Salem's stare was wide and dangerous, transfixed on the young Huntress as the last syllables flickered into the cherry-red sunset. Out of her lips came a scandalous whisper, something off-base, under her breath and stifled by a cocktail of emotions. But the silence of her world betrayed her, and the word rang out.

"Enough."

The mountains shared her sentiment, and rose to put an end to the dispute. Amidst the shock Ruby shouted out orders.

"Guys - get on even footing!"

The earth was cracking and shedding off the enormous figures, causing a torrential rain of rock and dust. Ruby and her team flew skywards, while JNPR dodged the lethal downpour. Salem watched intently, her patch of earth unmoved, judging and appraising.

"How big are these Grimm?" Nora yelled as they skidded over another falling boulder. A flash of power erupted and blocked out Jaune's response, as a shard of orange dust released its energy.

"Shit," Jaune swore, expecting a chain reaction and skidding to a halt, "We have to charge one of those… things. Nora, get some height!"

As Nora jumped skyward, Jaune bitterly wished he had some sort of vertical ability, to give him a leg up on the rising Grimm. But him and landing strategies were like oil and water... At least Ren was also gravity-inclined.

As they charged the nearest living mountain, a soul-stopping explosion rolled over them. For a split second, Jaune thought that another dust crystal had exploded. But no.

One of the Grimm had screamed as it realized it was alive once more, and the silence seemed to resonate with the noise, the reality of the world bending further to the weight of the towering creatures. The catatonic world was returning back from the void: hideous and destructive. A storm brewed in the once-weary sky, an all-too-familiar darkness staining the world like a polarized lens. These three giants would carry the banner, and crush the seven hunters who stood to oppose the soulless. The orange gleam burst forth like stadium lights, complementing the blackening sky.

Dragons, behemoths and jormungands couldn't hold a candle these things. Jaune growled at the meter-thick chitinous plating that began to emerge behind the stone skin. The reptilian heads of their monstrous opponent was as large as an Atlesian Cruiser Bridge. The massive ligaments of the creatures had talons of various sizes, but all larger than the wing of a Nevermore. Dust crystals pockmarked the ashen-white mask, but the real vibrant light hid behind the trunk-thick teeth, where color seemed to drip from the gaping maw, a sea of dust shards serving as the teeth and tissue. Such a beautiful hue of blue...

It was looking right at him. And Ren. With the jagged, vicious glowing mask of pure hatred, it was hard to tell which hunter it was focusing on. It dove earthwards, one of its two two claws reaching down with tremendous velocity to try and squash the attacking hunters. Jaune dived out of the way, but the impact was too great, splintering the ground and knocking the hunter to the ground anyway. Soon the massive claw was in motion again, gourging through the earth and straight towards JNPR's leader with tremendous velocity, intent on smearing him against the earth.

The next second he was upright, he was staring at the cavern of dust, all the way down to the esophagus of the giant, as its head swooped low to the ground to level with its opponents.

"Ren?!" Jaune cried out, concerned for his friend. The shards of dust, as blue as cold itself, began to glitter despite the darkness, the hardened crystals shivering as a resonance took hold, flickering and pulsating like a mass of maggots exposed to the light.

The energy rushed out like a tidal wave, an ocean of frost rolling over the hills and splitting the rock with ice. Had it not been for Ren, Jaune would have been featureless in a matter of seconds. But Ren _was_ there, and instead of being consumed by the sheer cold, Jaune and Ren found themselves on the hill-side behind the giant Grimm. Nora came crashing down next to them in a heartbeat, relief on her face.

"Gods, I thought you-" She began, before falling silent as the black mass began to move, turning towards the three hunters. "...Oh."

"Nidhogg… _Malice Strikers..._ " Ren breathed out, wearing an exhausted and fearful expression that Jaune did not think was possible. "... Dragons of legends…"

It was certainly a dragon, but the wings were clipped, broken and shattered and skeletal, only nubs sticking out from the back. But as the rippling beast turned towards them and released a blast of sound and domination, it's frightful maw still dripping mist and plasma, Jaune could see the bone shards squeeze outward, mending.

"Beings said to have shattered the moon, consumed entire continents… "

"We have to kill it," Jaune stated simply, feeling the eye of the storm swirl around him.

"But we can't pierce that armor," Nora shivered as the ground heaved beneath them - the enormous beast had taken a step forward.

"We don't need to," Jaune commanded. "Ren, you and I are going to attack the face and expose that field of Dust in its mouth. Nora, be ready to fire the strongest salvo you have into its gullet when you have the shot."

The Striker was digging up rubble to throw at the hunters, as its mouth already began to shine with another surge of energy.

"It could work." Ren admitted, rolling on of his shoulders and eyeing the condition of Stormflower.

"I'LL MAKE IT WORK!" Nora roared, crushing a pink dust crystal with a fist and letting the released thunder jolt through her body, charging her semblance for the battle.

His family. There wasn't anyone else who Jaune would want by his side, no better teammates to charge into battle with.

"Cover us!"

The rocks tumbled straight towards Jaune and Ren, boulders the size of Paladins and pebbles the size of cars. Some pieces of dust detonated among them, flares of fire and ice and wind all adding chaos to the cloud of projectiles. Jaune carved a way through the storm with his semblance, while Nora distracted the beast with a barrage of thunder and various expletives. The sub-zero blizzard erupted out from the fangs, ten meters above Jaune's head and out towards Nora, a stream the size of a skyscraper, but still too small to catch Nora, who flipped Magnhild to a launching position and repositioned herself on another mountaintop, yelling all the way.

The Malice Striker didn't even bat an eye when Nora's explosions peppered the air around it's face, wading through the scattered explosions and and shrapnel until one particular grenade detonated directly over one of the nostrils, a bundle of nerves that elicited a response. It continued to focus on Nora, snapping its head and snorting in displeasure.

Jaune grimaced as he leapt up towards the creature's leg, slamming his sword between two plates of Grimm carapace and looking to leap upwards. Ren would easily reach the top of the Striker before him, but would he be fast enough before the creature caught Nora?

Jaune pushed the thought out of his mind and began to climb, jumping up from foothold to foothold. Dust crystals, large and small, flickered with his reflection as he passed them, and almost swelled with energy. Jaune wondered if the Striker was aware of their parasitic attachment, and at the same time wondered how RWBY was faring.

 _Yang could blow away a mountain if she wanted to - don't worry about them._ _Climb!_

Jaune was on the spiny shoulder joint and clambering onto the back of the beast when it reared up and gave an impatient hiss, one of its claws rising up from the clouds of dust that blanketed the earth as it raked the lacerating edges over its face. It gave Nora some time to breathe, and suddenly the radio earpiece that was jammed into Jaune's ear crackled to life.

"I have his attention!"

Jaune glanced at the spiny back of the Striker - eyeing the energy crystals that studded the back. An energy source for the creature? No matter. These were the weak points.

"I'm going after the crystals on the back, try to get it to roar!" Jaune shouted, hoping the microphone picked up his voice despite the ambient noise of chaos, "Ren! Don't be stupid - get off the damn thing's face!"

Jaune scrambled a shard of dust from one of his belts, scratched its surface to begin its reaction and flung it at the nearest crystal, planting his sword into the Striker's back and bracing for the explosion. The finger-long pink electrical dust crystal collided with the electric blue dust crystal, and the corresponding release of energy was a symbiosis of ice and thunder. A cold matter explosion blew a crater in the Grimm's back, a grievous wound to a Dragon, certainly, but a scratch to the massive creature.

But a scratch is still a wound, and the creature bowed its head, hissing and spitting, momentarily surprised by the spark of pain. All of a sudden, black scales stood up on the Striker's back where the white carapace was not present, like a porcupine flexing its quills.

Jaune slid to a halt, stopping inches from one of the razor-sharp blades. The creature was rearranging its back to impede his assault. Cheeky.

The world tilted as the monster lunged forward and unleashed another torrent of energy, searching for Nora once again. Jaune nearly lost his balance and fell onto a barb, but recovered quickly by planting his feet in a crack and beginning to hack his way towards a more ideal position.

"It's growing spikes on it's back! Careful!"

Jaune sparked a red fire crystal this time, chucking it at a larger chunk of dust sticking out near the creature's slow-healing right wing.

The explosion of steam created another sore on the monster's back, and immediately the creature reared skyward, much more irritated than before. Jaune felt gravity take hold as the earth rushed up to meet him - he had made the Malice Striker disturbed enough to attempt to flip over and scratch its back against a _goddamn mountain_ to try and get rid of him.

Jaune fumbled out a fistful of grey dust, throwing it to his side to create a sudden expulsion of wind to blast himself free from the Striker's back, tumbling through the air before stabilizing and slamming into the ground, his knees and legs straining against the rocks. As he slid down a slope of loose gravel and rubble, the Grimm touched ground seconds after, crushing a nearby mountain like a pile of leaves, multiple explosions riddling the canyons and valleys as various dust crystals lost stability.

"Nora, do you have a shot?!" Jaune shouted as the dirt cloud engulfed him, and a bolt of lighting jolted across the stormy skies.

"At your 5, Jaune! Just get it's attention!"

Jaune didn't need to do that: the Striker was already rolling back, its face leveling to the ground and slightly agape, huffing with psychotic excitement, mask locked with Jaune's soul. Jaune never saw emotion appear out of a Grimm, not even surprise - but this creature seemed to be fascinated by him.

 _Finally, no more running,_ it seemed to say. _Finally, I get you!_

Jaune outstretched his arms, dropping his guard and feeling his sword and shield weigh on him like the scales of justice. A hundred meters away, a flying serpent with a head three-quarters the size of Beacon's mess hall lowered even further, inspecting the lone hunter.

"COME ON, THEN!"

A rumble filled the air, a low growl akin to a chuckle as the Striker cocked it's head. Jaune stared right back, even as his shout dwindled and the air from his lungs ran out.

The mouth opened nearly instantaneously, a lake of azure glowing as brightly as the surface of the sun. Jaune could see the filaments of dust stream together, and swirl out to open air, becoming more corporeal and lethal with every millimeter. In two seconds, it would have been over for him.

But Nora was one second quicker. Jaune didn't even notice the grenade, but somehow Ms. Valkyrie had read the Malice Striker's movements down to a jiffy. The explosion happened right on the front row of teeth on the left jaw, but the chain reaction was nigh-instantaneous. The monster's face snapped backward as the dust in it's mouth lost stability, the rest of its mountainous frame tumbling to the ground, limp and responseless. The air temperature dropped to sub-zero as the massive explosion of frost continued out into the world in waves. Jaune's clothing froze in ice and his entire form was suddenly covered in an inch of snow. In the sudden snow-serene silence, all Jaune could only hear Nora's laughter in his ear. In an awkward, jerking motion, Jaune shook off the cocoon and called on Ren, his eyes still fixed on the blackened body of the Striker.

"Fine… just covered in snow."

"Hahaha! Winter wonderlannnnd! FUCK YOU, GRIMM!"

Jaune muttered some curse his father had always shouted. Then he spoke:

"It's not evaporating."

The cold took a moment to settle in. Jaune looked out of the mist, first at the dark shadow of the incapacitated Striker and then towards the bright flashes and explosions where RWBY was locked in conflict.

" _Shit_." Nora swore, approaching Jaune from the behind, snow crunching with every step.

"What do we do? That explosion should've blown its head off." Ren responded in Jaune's earpiece, sounding a bit braver than before. Jaune spied his green armor up the hill, wading through the snow.

"Right now _this_ thing is out of the fight - we have to get to RWBY and help them deal with the others."

"Then?"

"Then... then we'll go from there. Move!"

* * *

The creatures of night tried to stop them, as embers and snowflakes mixed and intermingled in a surreal scene, the ice and fire in the black sky drifting down onto grey earth. Ursai and Beowolves, almost completely covered in white carapace, started to run down the slopes and into the battle. It was a minor inconvenience, but what terrified Jaune was the reality that they were just heralds of a larger horde.

This battle was going to kill them if they stayed too long.

As they approached the two warring Nidhoggs - both preoccupied with the hurricane that was RWBY, Jaune spied Salem watching from her perch, somehow unbroken and unmolested throughout the unfolding chaos. Part of him was drawn to attack her, the part of him that was enamored and entranced by Pyrrha. She was so excited - constantly pushing Jaune forward that at times he almost left Ren and Nora lost in the melee, left to fend for themselves.

"Kill the witch. She's the one who needs to die."

Jaune strained as he leapt over a wave of rubble stirred up by the battle. Maybe, but why commit to such a fight when Grimm are swarming the valley?

Jaune's mental dialogue was interrupted by another wave of energy and anger, a shivering growl as one of the Malice Strikers lurched backwards and away from the epicenter, its mouth a thin red line, indicative of the fire dust that burned within. The other Striker mirrored the action, jumping to the side as to reposition, crouched and alert. Heads lowered, the monsters began to prowl behind the mountains, as the swarm of lesser Grimm thickened.

Jaune ducked underneath a bolt of Weiss's dust, skidding to a halt and turning around to fill in the defensive circle. Ren and Nora jumped in right after, friends standing their ground against the apocalypse.

"Progress?"

"These things - " Ruby started.

"Malice Strikers!" Blake corrected, reloading her pistol and immediately unloading it into the charging swarm.

"These THINGS aren't vulnerable to my abilities," The silver-eyed warrior explained angrily, "I can't freeze them and they're too thick to dismember. All I'm good for is giving them paper cuts."

"I've had some luck with my punches though," Yang mentioned brightly, letting flechette shells tumble to the ground, smoke rising up from her arms, "The Striker with Thunder Dust, it's pretty dented."

"We'll take it down," Ruby announced as the prowling giants stood tense, ready to pounce, "JNPR, keep the Red Striker off us!"

Incantations suddenly spun into existence beneath Jaune's feet, inches behind his back. Weiss's voice took command, just as the Nidhoggs opened their mouth and let the dust flow.

"Steady!"

The fire and thunder rolled down the hills, incinerating any Grimm still charging towards the band of hunters. The mythical beasts followed suit, blotting out the storm clouds and churning dust into the air as they fell towards their opponents, one of the behemoths sweeping low, the other rising upwards.

"Let's go!"

All Jaune needed to do was hop, and the glyph did the rest. In fact, the resulting force from Weiss's semblance nearly blew Jaune into the damn stratosphere. Below them, twin blasts of energy collided and rose upwards as the creatures craned their necks skywards.

The red nightmare was the closest, but when Jaune streaked toward it he saw the quills standing up on its back, as sharp as swords and eager to draw blood.

The landing strategy had to change. Jaune hated changing his damn landing strategy. But where to land? Where to-

"JAUNE!"

"Shit!" Jaune hissed as the Striker tried to shake him into it's maw. Jaune had taken to long and had landed cleanly on the Striker's mouth, right in between the two paladin-sized orange orbs that were its eyes. The next thing he knew he was holding on to Crocea Mors for his dear life, as the creature jerked to and fro.

"Jaune! We'll get you down from there!"

Jaune gnashed his teeth - thinking back to the Frost Striker and how it's head snapped back, a blizzard exploding out from it's jaw. Ren and Nora were alright - fine then:

"NO! Ren, get it's attention! We stick to the plan!"

"Jaune-" Ren began.

"GO!"

How the hell would Jaune time this right? He didn't dwell on the details, so flooded with adrenaline as his sword gave a bit and dropped him down in front of the Striker's nostrils.

The Frost Striker was saved because it's mouth was open - the energy was able to escape. If he could slam this thing's mouth shut as Nora's salvo detonated within, it would blow the accursed thing's head off.

It happened much sooner than last time, or maybe it was the fact that he spent all of the time clinging onto the mask of a swaying monstrosity. The creature began to rumble, and Jaune could feel it's maw open and let the tide of magma ooze outward. Nora screamed something about Jaune to get clear, and Jaune rushed up the bridge of the nose, running along the snout as the creature opened wide and let loose.

Every bit of energy was summoned - Pyrrha was laughing nervously at the prospect of this explosion. Whatever it was, when Jaune lept up, aura surging forth and pooling into his right fist. All he could hear was the cold, autumn wind whipping underneath him and the hollow ring of his semblance.

The force pushing the great beast's mouth shut was nothing like the fire that ripped out from it's surface. The head of the creature collapsed outward in an eruption of plasma, completely engulfing the leader of JNPR.

For a split second, Jaune knelt to death, knees touching the ground, surrounded in a forest of flames. I mean, what hope was there, surviving this conflagration? Ovens certainly couldn't reach this degree of heat, and besides, death by fire was a pretty nice way to go, all things considered. No purer way to pass.

But even as the flames licked and seared their way onto his body, cutting through his aura and slicing into his skin, he realized there was still fight left in him. His voice was completely drowned out by the inferno, but he still spoke, and she listened.

"Don't hide this secret, Pyrrha… _How_ are you doing all of this?"

"It's not me, Jaune. It's _us_."

There was nothing, nothing but fire surrounding him. But despite the odds he walked through the pyre, clawing out of through the wisps of fire as if they were undergrowth. Pyrrha laughed at the stubborn resistance, enamoured by it.

Pulling back more red curtains for what seemed like forever, Jaune lurched forward, swimming through the inferno and suddenly stumbling out of it.

His aura was on fire, flickering red, yellow, orange and blue. It was a chaos of energy that was _fucking with him_. His eyes swam and his mind stumbled left and right as he tried to remain awake despite the pain sizzling on his skin. With a groan, he rolled back and forth in the most pathetic attempt to stop the smell of cooking skin.

Strange enough (maybe the nauseating smell of burnt flesh compelling him to retreat), the vertigo ebbed away in a matter of seconds, and he managed to get himself onto his feet and appreciate his work.

The damn thing wasn't dead: Its black mass remained, very still, very immobile, but very much alive. Despite the blaze that had enveloped the creature to make it look like a matchhead, covered in one enormous candle flame, the Malice Striker would be recovering soon enough.

"Now, is it too late for me to mention my surprise?"

Oh, it's that familiar bubble again. But now he was the main character to the freak's probings and taunts.

"Time to be the hero, Jaune."

 _Great._

Salem took two steps forward, making a path through the drifting embers as they fell onto and slipped off an invisible shelter that protected the witch.

His immediate thoughts went to Ren and Nora. Where were they? The next thoughts were an insatiable desire to attack, to just kill this zealot where she stood.

"That _is_ a compliment, sir." Salem reminded in a friendlier tone, breaking into his thought process:

"Who would have thought of something so brash and execute it without second thought?"

"Great." Jaune growled out loud this time, pulling up his sword and surprised to see it in clean condition - unburnt from the inferno. He didn't want to get in a discussion with this freak, but the threat she posed was undeniable - best to bide for time.

Still wanted to show her some defiance, though. This woman didn't deserve any consideration.

"Jaune Arc. You... _really_ don't like death, do you?"

"Just shut up." Jaune said wearily, now raising his shield, "Just shut up, lady."

Salem laughed as if it was a coffee date, while Jaune scooted his right foot back, centering his gravity.

"Yet... who in their right mind transverses the High Road alone? Walks out of a inferno like that? Follows Ruby and her suicidal crusade? How do you keep living while so many other good hunters die?"

"Jaune! Now is not the time to talk-"

An echoing scream and a blast of cold washed over them - the Ice Striker had risen yet again, spewing more energy than before. It killed Jaune's chance for a response, and silenced Pyrrha for a split second, letting Salem grin and continue.

"Honestly, Jaune, I anticipated your death a long time ago. It was going to be tragic, it was going to drive your friends deeper into their spiral of self-pity and self-glorification... And… it never happened."

"Sorry."

"Shut up and _fight_."

"You should be." Salem muttered as her mood darkened considerably, "RWBY is trouble enough, but you and your two friends have become just as infuriating - Dust bless I was able to rip out your fourth before you became such a pestilence."

"I was _wondering_ when you would mention Pyrrha again." Jaune responded dully, letting his sword wave up and down in mockery.

Explosions rattled the sky, beyond the curtain of flames. Jaune and his opponent were completely obscured by the fire - help was not coming. So he wouldn't spend his last seconds crying about some old partner of his.

"How long are you going to talk about her? You expect it to matter?"

"Killing her was a mistake, you know. The unwounded are so much easier to crush outright. Remember that team in the tournament... NDGO? They fought well, for so long, but they didn't have the _fire_ , you know? And once one of them tripped up and got herself killed, well, they all followed her, in one fell swoop. Now, if one of them had died tragically, maybe the others would have fought with a bit more spite, a bit more fear of ending up dead and defiled."

"We should be killing her, Jaune."

"Truth is, I went easy on team JNPR. Cinder and I, we probably made you the heroes you are today."

"She's leaning to her right - charge her left and try and break through that barrier!"

"Great. Thank you." Jaune responded with as much sarcasm as he could, his growing anger only making him more sullen than furious, "I really don't know why it's taking you so long to attack."

"I believe you've earned a fair shot."

"Take it!"

Jaune tensed up but the internal fury kept him rooted against Pyrrha's wishes. That irritable rationality had grown frustrated with the servitude, and was biting back.

"Really? So you can laugh at my face when everything I have comes up short? I'll die with dignity, thanks."

"Oooh, a dignified death! Like Yatsuhashi, right?"

"Jaune. Silence her."

Jaune shivered - his body had lost everything in incapacitating the Fire Nidhogg, it was begging him not to move forward. If he wouldn't be rational, at least he would be physically restrained.

"You seem conflicted, Jaune. Unlike your friends, I can see some awareness in your eyes. A fear. I don't think you want to die like Yatsuhashi. I don't even think you want to die like Pyrrha. You know there's more to this than just sacrifice."

Jaune felt obligated to reply.

"It's true. I don't want anyone to die like they did. Not Ruby… Not Nora… No one."

Salem's face lit up.

"Oh… I see. How noble."

"Jaune."

An absolute darkness began to swirl around her playful fingertips, and she took a step forward.

"But still: You're too much of a problem to ignore."

" _JAUNE_. "

Whatever dark force Salem threw at him, it was something he wasn't sure he could survive. But as Salem's hand reached outwards, a glistening white scar shot right over Salem's face. The seemingly transparent barrier recovered quickly, but it was enough to make Salem flinch and fire the shot wide.

Ruby slid to a halt twenty feet away.

"JAUNE! Get the others and go!"

Salem reached out with both hands now, one for Ruby and the other for Jaune. But the bubble had burst: Jaune was awake this time, and they both dodged the attack. Another roar and a beam of energy passed overhead.

"Go where? I think you were better off leaving him for dead." Salem laughed, as the distant noise of Grimm began to draw closer.

"Jaune! RUN!"

"But…"

" _Kill her and nobody dies_."

Jaune grit his teeth and pushed forward.

* * *

End Chapter


	11. Cataclysm Looms

Part 11

* * *

Cataclysm Looms

* * *

Jaune spat out another glob of blood and grimaced as the chopper shuddered for the millionth time, buffeted by headwinds. Flickering and dim red lights were all he could see, as a mess rolled about the cabin - empty water canteens, emptied casings and stupid little white pills, all bathed in that dreary and damp red hue.

There wasn't much time, Jaune knew. But he was still in shock, still trying to understand the flickering lights, the gloomy space and the blank faces that surrounded him.

Hunters being hunted. What happened?

Everything was lost - after Pyrrha's feverish demand for him to rush towards Salem, Jaune couldn't remember a damn thing. By the time he returned to some sense of consciousness, all he could remember was running, and the dull noise of fractured eardrums. That and the dust plastered on his sweat and blood, rushing across a field of glass and a forest of ash, chased by three armageddon-belching Grimm. Pushing through an endless mob of the creatures, at times jumping on their heads and dodging snatching jaws.

That was it?! All of that fear and intensity lost in what felt like a five-minute blackout. The most defining moment in Jaune's life and he couldn't even remember it. He was too tired to be disappointed.

He didn't even know who he was sharing this transport with. For all he knew, everyone had died save for the pilot. He didn't have the strength to recognize the people around him - and confirm that they weren't hallucinations.

Another rattle seized the vehicle, vibrating before growing bit by bit until Jaune felt ready to empty his stomach. They were clearly losing altitude and fuel - and with the thought a spike of fear rushed through his system once more. How close were the fangs of death? Were Salem's dragons nipping at their heels, meters behind this meager craft?

Despite his exhaustion, Jaune no longer had the liberty to stew in his lethargy. He pulled as much energy as he could and committed it to his mental constitution.

 _This fight wasn't over. They're right behind us._

"You'll be ready for them."

In the haze, Jaune spied her sitting opposite to him, vivid and clearly defined. What a spectacular hallucination. He was too tired and sick to speak or reason, so he just threw out his thoughts.

 _Ready for them? What, so we can fail like last time?_

"You didn't fail, though. You now know your enemy. It'll be much easier."

It was so strange how calm and content Pyrrha was - as always, so unnerved by reality. It no longer comforted Jaune - in his exhaustion the anger and doubt reigned.

 _I almost died._

"Several times, actually. You still need to work on centering your gravity behind your shield."

And she even had the gall to laugh about that, smiling as she always did when she corrected him during their sparring sessions.

 _How is this funny? I don't… get how you can be so casual about this._

Pyrrha's smile didn't falter, but her face softened. Her formal posture loosened as if she was going to reach out and cup his face. Her eyes looked so alive.

"We die someday, Jaune. Its best to die seizing glory - I just want you to be brave enough to seize it."

 _But my friends… I need to help them._

Pyrrha shook her head, closing her eyes and so aware of Jaune's thoughts.

"They'll surely die with heroism clenched in their fists - so long as you are strong for them. "

The voices in the cabin cleared up a bit as he recovered, only to disappear as the side doors of the bullhead opened with a loud whine, giving a view of an enticing, gentle ocean, scarcely a hundred feet below. People moved to the window as the transport continued to drop in both speed and altitude. Jaune stood and followed his friends, still trying to catch up in his head.

A hand whipped across his face, leaving a dull burning pain, and Nora was suddenly up in his face, screaming at him. Something about weight. Something about death.

Drowning. Right. Jaune stripped off what little material he still had. For extra measure, he tore off a wad of bandages wrapped around his shoulder. His aura would have to pull him through.

By the time he was through, he was probably the last one on board - the dark cavern of the bullhead with its dim, glowing lights. He gave one last sad look at the ground and those little white pills, filled with cyanide and tempting him with a quick rest.

The water hit him like a truck - it's allure not so beautiful once it crashed upon him. The first few seconds he was sinking, the momentum of the dive taking him down a couple feet under the surface. Kicking furiously as water swirled around his shoes, it felt as though his effort was keeping him stagnant… until the cold air suddenly matted his hair and raked over his face. As he bobbed up over a wave, he sighed as he spied shore - praying for no riptides.

The bullhead crashed - with a massive spray of water and a gurgle, it rode over two waves before taking in more water than it could handle - sinking quickly and without any sound.

The half a mile stretch to shore was as arduous and deadly as any trip Jaune had undertaken. Even with only Crocea Mors as weight, it seemed that every stroke was a final effort to stay afloat - fleeting and offering no progress. Miraculously, Jaune grasped sand at the end of this journey, not a cold rock at the bottom of the ocean.

He knelt there for just a moment, before the next wave pushed him away from hypothermic death. He walked, without understanding his strength, to the dry sand. He felt the wind whip around him, and he turned to look out over the ocean.

Prey looking back at the barrel of the gun. A human staring down the end of days.

Darkness is what they fled from: a black cloud with a heart of malevolent red, reaching up and out over the stratosphere in a journey to envelop the world. An autumn winter for demons and abominations - and a red speck lingered and flickered in front of the iris of destruction - a Nidhogg calmly approaching shore.

Jaune blinked and realized it was snowing. The grey ash had come with the wind - it's lifeless and artificial existence beginning to seek out new land to sterilize and drain.

It was the endgame. Salem's influence was steadily covering the world, and soon nowhere would be safe, from the shores Menagerie to the slopes of the Vacuo. The grimm would be a flood that would roll over any fortification, tear its inhabitants to shreds. The tide had already begun to rise - the sieges would soon begin… and in weeks, or even days, they would end in death.

Nora dragged herself near him, some flotation devices still attached to her and Magnhild. She tore them off quietly, still bleeding from a gash in her head, the gauze doing little to help.

Jaune looked to his left and saw Weiss trying to catch her breath, dress torn and face burnt black. Her hand fumbled as she frantically checked her pockets.

Yang... Yang was just sitting in the tide, her back to Jaune. Blake stood next to her, ankle deep in the ocean, hand on the the blonde's head.

Ren - for a moment Jaune feared he would never see him again - walked to Nora with a clouded look.

Then Jaune looked for Ruby, and was interrupted.

"Jaune… Can we talk?"

 _Ren?_

"What is it?"

"Come, off the shore. Just… between us."

Nora was quiet as they walked away, opening the chambers of her beloved weapon to better understand its woes. By her face, she hated everything and wanted to be a part of nothing.

"Ren… what happened?"

"We ran."

As Jaune stumbled down another hill of sand, approaching the earth, he realized that they were a couple miles south of Beacon thanks to a lone, dreary maple leaf, settling at the edge of the embankment. Beyond the hills there would be hundreds of these maple trees, and then they all bled red and turned into the natural wonder of Forever Fall. Sweet Forever Fall, soon to be bleached thanks to all of the dead dust falling from the sky. All good thoughts seemed to perish.

"Ren, I need more than that. What happened?"

Their voices were both so weary, yet Jaune was still unprepared for the fatigue when Ren sighed..

"... Where to begin? We all got destroyed by Salem, turning around to get you and Ruby out of there... Then we started running in such a disarray I lost Storm…"

Jaune sadly acknowledged the fact that Ren was missing half of his weapon.

"Everyone got torn up in that hustle - the Grimm had grown so thick that we were using them as stepping stones… That was horrible - I think Yang and Nora lost some toes."

Jaune immediately looked down. His feet were still there, thank the gods… but there was some red shining through the wet fabric. Best not think about it. Ren was probably joking; there was a bitter smile across his face. It was the sort of gallows humor that Ren was surprisingly proficient at.

"...Yeah, it was bad. The bullhead was damaged so we had to chuck everything but the necessities. I don't even think we have enough ammo for a Deathstalker right now… And we have to take on... a fucking Nidhogg."

Jaune sighed as he thought of their options.

"Well we're right near Beacon, right? We have to beat it there and scavenge for supplies. The ruins would give us some cover and chances to catch the thing unguarded…"

"Jaune…"

"...And the other two Grimm Strikers - I'll be that they're headed to the remaining strongholds. We - we can maybe get the broadcast tower in Beacon online and send a warning!"

"...Jaune."

The leader of JNPR was too engrossed in his thought process to hear.

"We already managed to interfere with a Malice Striker once before - makes no sense for Salem to just send one at us…"

"Jaune, could you please-"

"Which means we have to expect Cinder and her friends. We don't have time to waste, damn it! They could be here any second…"

Jaune moved towards the others but Ren seized him by the shoulder and dragged him back.

"Can't you just listen, Jaune?!"

"What?"

Ren grumbled as he dragged Jaune back further.

"First, they don't want to hear much from you. Second, I wanted to ask you a question."

"Why would they not want to…"

"Jaune. I told you that you could talk to me about anything - and I stand by that."

Jaune felt fear, being lectured by the silent warrior. Whenever Ren opened his mouth, the stars fell silent and opened their ears. And his eyes clearly conveyed his intent.

"Ren?"

"Is there anything you might be holding back from the team?"

 _Oh come on. Now, of all times?_

"I-"

"Anything that might be causing you distress?"

 _Shit._

Damn it all, Jaune thought weakly, utterly clueless on how to escape this situation, dimly aware that there was no escape.

"What - what do you mean?"

Ren sighed.

"Jaune - I was drugged out and half dead from pain, but I wasn't delirious. I heard you."

No thoughts and no magical dialogues to bail him out. Jaune just sighed and collected his thoughts.

"Atlas, huh?"

...

"Yeah."

Another gust of wind that Ren looked away from, to avoid sand and dust.

"I didn't really mind, Jaune, I passed it off as one of your talks," he continued, oblivious to Jaune's discomfort, "Even when Neptune had shown me those MAS results..."

"He knows?"

"No, it was just a casual conversation - a casual look - but even when I realized it was something more than just talk, I decided to let you have your moment - so you could share and let us know when you felt comfortable about it."

"...Oh." The fear quickly soured into shame.

"Well?"

"Well what?"

"Something you need to tell me?"

Jaune felt his shoulders sag.

"Do we have to go through the formalities?"

"Yes."

...

"Ren, I think Pyrrha is a ghost."

…

"Are you going to get the straightjacket now?"

Ren rolled his eyes in irritation and then rubbed his eyes.

"In the past two years, I've seen the entire supernatural spectrum. Why would I even bother at this point? Are ghosts that much more unbelievable than Malice Strikers laying waste to the surface of Remnant? Humanity's final hour?"

"So… we're good?" Jaune asked hesitantly, immediately regretting the stupid question as Ren's eyes flared.

"I have concerns. You haven't acted yourself - you've behaved so rashly: traveling to Atlas alone - trying to hold a barricade without support - charging Jormungands like a psycho... this suicidal valor isn't you, Jaune. You always protected and never put people at risk. And now you've been doing it at every single turn!"

"...Nobody's died-"

"Almost!" Ren grumbled, frustration growing, "You think that battle at Patch was some success story?! We all were terrified. Yet you were so enthralled in the fight... Have you even looked at your aura recently?"

Jaune mumbled, drained and confused and abashed. He looked down at his right hand and let the well of power surge through the fingers - the familiar, comforting bright glow materialized, washing away any weakness… But Jaune barely felt the warmth. It was all wrong, the aura was off-color, washed and diluted by a red hue.

"...Oh." Jaune sighed, crestfallen and somber.

"Yeah, so now you can see why I've been getting a bit nervous, right?!"

Jaune was too awash with misery and hurt to form a coherent response. He was so empty and weak to be comforted or reasoned with, unable to deal with the internal anger. He was an idiot for toying with fate, taking things for granted - it was so obvious that things were too good to be true. Pyrrha, a guardian angel? A story for the naive.

"Damnit, Ren… I'm sorry. What do I do?"

Ren shrugged.

"Why the heck do you think I know? Maybe you could have done some research in the Sandscape Library in Shade…"

"Damnit." Jaune muttered, the regret and suffering slowly setting in more and more. How complacent had he gotten because of her? The spirit was silent, its warmth and comfort lost to Jaune, even though he knew it was there. What was the reason behind her trepidation?

"Shit," Jaune swore again as he realized another truth. "I'm going to have to tell the others now, huh?"

"Hm..." Ren winced visibly as he tried to stomach Jaune's ignorance. "I'm… not sure that's a wise idea."

Jaune turned back to the rest of the team. He took in a long look of silence.

"I broke my promise with Ruby. I endangered everyone by not running, and taking on Salem by myself. I get it."

"...Yeah." Ren confirmed, "Ruby is... pretty... upset."

Ren just didn't have the words to explain it. But Jaune was past that. It must have been the exhaustion and the ocean breeze, but his head was clear.

"Well, even if it's not wise, it must be done. But I'll need to sort things out, Ren. Let's get to Beacon, first. Then we put this matter to rest. There's a goddamn world that needs to be saved."

Ren nodded, and Jaune gave him a bear hug: something the hunter hadn't done in a long, long time. Jaune held him by the shoulder as they broke away.

"Thanks, bro."

* * *

End Chapter


	12. On My Terms

Part 12

* * *

On My Terms

* * *

Jaune wasn't anxious - which was strange considering the circumstances. He was walking up a boulevard of a ghost city, accompanied by a specter of a long lost comrade. She was terribly excited and high in spirits: He could feel her skip over the rubble and step around abandoned, burnt car-frames.

They were alone. Disturbing as it was, but there was virtually no presence of Grimm. It made Jaune think back to the forsaken continent and its dead landscape, and although the parallel was disturbing, he was strangely numb to it. It was no longer novel - it wasn't as terrifying as it first was.

Still, he kept his eyes out for Salem's followers. They could spring out from the shadows at any moment - and their threat kept his eyes sharp and his hand on his sword.

Jaune didn't spend time talking with the spirit - walking through this town made him reminisce about how close they had gotten to reclaiming Vale. So much effort put into trying to sew the kingdom back together, but every time they had some grip of control, the forces of darkness tore it away. Jaune couldn't help but wonder if Vale had suffered the same fate of Mountain Glenn - even when… if the evil they were fighting was repelled, would people even try to rebuild this hallowed ground once more? Maybe they would spend their time and money on populating Patch, or just chose to remain remain in the other kingdoms altogether.

It hadn't occurred to him that the world he lived in was on the cusp of becoming a completely different era. The Era of Three Kingdoms, not four.

Or The Second Era of Darkness, if Salem was successful. Humanity would be pushed to hovels and holes, hiding in remote corners to avoid the wingspan of the Nidhogg and the fangs of the horde.

Or wiped out completely:

The Era of Endings.

* * *

The trip to the city of Vale was dismally uneventful. Dust fell from the sky and exhaustion kept trying to drag Jaune into cardiac arrest. The gentle roads to Vale were empty - only abandoned houses and fields stood out from the flora. Some fields had ripe fruit trees to pluck - and with plums and peaches, sugar began to restore some strength to the battle-weary warriors. Their auras began to replenish, their stomachs began to turn with sugar shock. But with a world-razing dragon nipping at their heels, they weren't pausing for sickness.

* * *

With that thought, Jaune absentmindedly tried to wipe away a sticky patch on his chin, and the roar of the Nidhogg echoed through the city. It had been closing distance since they had spotted it's massive wingspan on the beach. How much time until the fire-breathing monster arrived?

About fifteen minutes. Quickly now.

* * *

They had managed to salvage a number of bullets, rounds and grenades from abandoned caches laying at the gates of the city. With their munitions refilled, they had made their way into an empty urban center, walking through the husks of buildings to try and find any missing pieces to their arsenal. Ren had picked up a rather lethal-looking short sword to replace his missing Stormflower - Jaune hoped it would be strong enough for the fight ahead.

The vacant, weathered streets had become so colorless compared to the last time he laid eyes on them. Jaune couldn't even stomach the fact that this was the same avenue that he once had stood on as a hunter-in-training. As a country boy, he was never sure that he'd be able to adapt to life in the city. It seemed that he wouldn't have to worry about that anymore.

Another echoing roar rebounded off of the concrete - reminding him of more pressing matters. RWBY, Ren and Nora were still setting up in the transmission tower - he had something else to take care of.

The path to Ozpin's tower was virtually unchanged - repairs to the city had been focused on the perimeter, the palisades and walls that kept Grimm out. As a result, blemishes and rubble in the inner city had been ignored. Beacon's tower had been a conduit for the Cross Continental Transmit System, but during the reclamation of Beacon engineers didn't even bother to repair the mess, fixing the tower without disturbing the cemetery of Beacon's last headmaster.

Stone benches lay in disrepair, covered in soot and debris. Shattered stone and small gears covered the area, the aftermath of the dragon Grimm's assault on the tower. The scorch marks of a rocket locker still stained the stone walkway. Jaune came to a halt, hands to his hips, and quietly surveyed the scene. He turned to face the empty street and looked up towards the horizon.

"I remember looking down on this exact spot, flying into Beacon. God, wasn't that quite the trip… I remember how my stomach just turned at the sight of it all. I don't really get seasick or airsick… I just was so terrified of what I had gotten myself into: The city life, the trials of becoming a hunter… If I could even pull it off. It all seemed so impossible."

He tried to point at the exact point where the airship had passed over, triangulating the position from memory.

"It was at that moment where I realized I was WAY in over my head - all of my desperate hope of being a hero just died right there, man. Like I had woken up: I looked at all of the other students and all of their fancy weapons, then down to a freaking metropolis, and I freaked out - puked out. What a way to start my life at Beacon, huh?"

What was the reason he was saying this, again?

"I guess Beacon has always been that place for me. A place where things change - decisively. I would have never gotten anywhere without Beacon."

"..."

He felt the apprehension and the discontent, but he was used to that discomfort. He wasn't uncomfortable, he was committed to this.

"Pyrrha."

"Let's not dwell here."

Jaune just chuckled - shouldn't she have understood by now?

"Why not?"

"Isn't it painful for you? This place…"

"Yeah, yeah… Definitely sad, and sure, it hurts. But this place grants me perspective on what I've lost and how far I've traveled. So I think it's the perfect place."

Jaune raised his hand as if to silence her, to stop her from interrupting.

"Look: I'm sorry that I dragged you here, but this is necessary. For a long time I've tormented myself over shortcomings, cried over the nature of things, but in the end, those things will never change. I can't waste my soul resisting things that make me who I am - if I am to deny or bitch about my baggage, what else am I doing but belittling myself?"

The wind seemed to pick up, disturbed and trying to vacate the scene. Jaune knew this silence all too well.

"This journey of mine… it's been amazing. So much suffering and triumph - traveling through all of Remnant and doing my best to play the hero… We've all been through so much, seen so much. I swear Ruby's getting grey hairs. I feel as old as my dad… But some things I've never grown out of. I've never stopped caring for my friends… Which is why this has to stop."

A concern sprung forth in Jaune, but he knew it wasn't his. His partner's soul was frozen in tension, and suddenly felt surprise, something akin to fear. Not yet, though. Pyrrha was a stubborn person - and bad at reading the mood.

"What? Jaune, I…"

"You're dead." Jaune stated, as factual and crisp as his mind would allow it. "You're gone, Pyrrha. Staying here is just adding salt to the wounds."

For a moment, there was a silence to highlight her confusion.

"But… How have I hurt you?"

"Not _me_. _You_. You're just hurting _yourself_. You watch me and your friends struggle and fight and the best you can do is give me motivational quips. You never wanted to be a cheerleader - who would? I don't blame you for trying to control me… but... I can't let you do that."

"I'll... stop, Jaune. I only wanted to help… If that's what you want, I'll-"

"No… no."

Now she felt fear.

"No: You have to go. Watching someone live, utterly helpless and _wishing_ they could do something to help… That's not what you should be doing. You should be free, happy, unrestricted by all of the shit that goes down. It's alright, Pyrrha. I know you care. We're going to be fine, I _promise_... That's an Arc guarantee."

Jaune knew how aura worked, familiar with who he was and what he stood for. He could feel a second skin peel off as his semblance carried out his will - pushing her away.

"Jaune...!"

"Unbound in death, wasn't it?" Jaune said sadly, aware of the terror that now permeated through the soul of Pyrrha Nikos. Just as she had worked magic on him, he could do the same - willing his aura to reject her presence. A strange fresh, cool feeling washed over him as her aura lost its moorings, beginning to drift into the air and sky.

"You were always so solemn - I don't want you to suffer anymore. It'll be for the better. You'll see."

"No, no… Jaune, _please_."

"It's… not like you have a choice, though. This time, I spare you."

"Jaune!"

 _Don't respond_. Jaune thought sadly, frustrated at how slow he was at getting rid of her. When she had shoved him into the locker, it was done in a second. He fortified his mind, blocking her voice as much as he could as Pyrrha's embrace slipped further and further away. His skin felt exposed in the cold weather, and he felt her essence linger on his arm, then his hand, then his fingertips…

"Please, please…"

Her aura had sustained off of his own enough to be corporeal, enough for her to opaque, human. Such a fragile constellation of light and soul, red and quickly losing color to the corroding presence of the world. She would quickly shed the energy and disappear into the atmosphere, find freedom in the world, somehow and somewhere. She'd drift to some afterlife or vanish in peace. She would be fine. Jaune knew it. Just like how he turned out alright, she would thank him in the end. It was the right choice.

She was staring at him, a shimmer of tears and a face of absolute terror - begging him to stop.

"It's… so cold, without you."

His arm was outstretched, and he hated himself for the reflex, absentmindedly prolonging their contact. She should've been gone by now, but he had been too slow. Pyrrha hadn't been so damn hesitant punching in the coordinates. She pressed the launch button without pause. She knew the cost of lingering…

 _Was it the right choice?_ Choices were something Jaune had grown used to as strategist, but he had never enjoyed their unforgiving nature. He had made correct decisions and choices that had killed friends. But in the end he was always the one who kept making them.

Obviously, he had never gotten over Pyrrha. Clearly. Just like Ruby's uncle Qrow could never give up his memories or his flask, until the very end. But, like Qrow, he had kept moving through the muck, kept living with that baggage: Jaune saw nothing pitiable about it. So maybe he'd never get over her, but that didn't mean he'd be stuck in the past.

Truthfully, Jaune wanted her to stay. He loved her presence - much better than the Crocea Mors, whose intricate tributes to his lost partner only made him feel heavier in the mud. But wouldn't staying just inflict greater suffering? All of this fervor driving her was a desire to be there, even though that would never be possible. Her relationships would be faux, her accomplishments, actions, everything carried through some blonde middleman. It would all turn to ash and make her suffer in the end.

Damn. It. All.

Jaune looked forward at her and met her eyes with his own. He wanted to speak and explain his reasons and everything on his mind.

All he could muster was a stare. A roar cascaded around them buildings shuddered and crumbled into sand and flame. It had begun.

Armageddon awaits.

There was no more time.

So the decision was made.

* * *

The End


	13. Author's Note

Part 13

* * *

Author's Notes

* * *

First and foremost, I would like to thank you all for reading my little writing project - and with some luck you've enjoyed the journey as much as I have. Stories have their own unique history of creation, and I would like to share this with you to help you better understand and appreciate this work of mine.

I wrote "Unbound" as an emotional catharsis to the end of Vol 3. I was quite braindead about the entire affair, emotionally and mentally drained. This was reflected in my rather irrationally composed and rushed-out first chapter - putting Jaune in a scene just so I could see him grieve and suffer - as I was too impatient to wait through an entire hiatus for that scene. The second chapter was equally strange and discordant in the narrative, basically because it was written to a song (The Rose) - and what would have been a concluding paragraph where Jaune walks bravely into the blizzard and winter storms, alone and suffering, but still pushing forward with a seed in his heart that would someday bloom.

Yet it didn't end - and the story continued into what you have read: the stranger and more obvious presence of Pyrrha who was more than just a quotation that stood separate and centered while the rest of the words were aligned to the left. I tried to put a lot of things on Pyrrha's plate - first presenting her as a guardian angel, and then to make her intimacy much more carnal, obsessive and concerning. I tried to illustrate how death and separation is a two-way street in this interpretation of the RWBY universe: to allow people to speculate on what drives Pyrrha forward, and ultimately understand its a desire to walk back over that threshold and be alive again, with her friends. The pull is strong, and while her desires and intentions are innocent, the parasitic method in how she tries to claw her way back turns out to be much more destructive than anyone would have imagined - inflicting suffering on everyone, including herself. Her comforting of Jaune becomes a form of selfish manipulation, making him break promises he otherwise would have kept - but is also a form of self-torture, dangling these tantalizing people and relationships in front of her, reminding her of the glory and life that she lost.

Ultimately - the story became more than just a cathartic release of pain, it was a coming to terms: a reminder that not everything is equal - that some things must be prioritized over others. Jaune has grown as a character in the canon, and in this story I took his development the next step towards the self-less leader that Ozpin and Ruby believed him to be. It's a way to come to terms, but in a subdued way - not bittersweet yet still emotionally charged - an undercurrent that leads you towards an ending... but an ending I would dare not write. This is fanfiction, and my philosophy towards a work in progress like RWBY is one of nuance: Of course I'd love to see Jaune's suffering portrayed in a certain way, I'd love his story to play out a certain way, but would I force it on the writers? On the readers? I'd rather use my fanfiction to present the idea, not vainly try and create canon, no matter how tempting it may be. The open ending is to give the premonition of an end, and let the reader grapple with the implications.

Does Jaune perish in this upcoming confrontation? Did he really go through with letting Pyrrha go? What the heck does that mean, anyway? But wait! These enormous monsters of war, these Malice Strikers, are they stopped? Where does Cinder fit into this upcoming battle? How will Vacuo/Mistral fair, etc etc?

I know it begs to be concluded, but I'd rather let you think about the idea of a Grimm named Nidhoggr - the Norse dragon which chewed at the roots of the _universe._ Adapting such a massive creature into RWBY would be fantastical and absolutely amazing. The fact that Nidhoggr (or Nidhogg) translates to "malice striker" makes it all the more epic - seriously, look that beast up. I'm frothing at the lips for the writers to implement more Norse mythos into the roster of Grimm - they bring massive potential to the Grimm as the story winds on, keeping the black beings dangerous and terrifying. Just imagine a Jormungand wind its way around a ship before constricting it to shreds - these are some serious beasts.

And so like the rest of the story, they appear as an idea, a concept to plant in your head and toy with, consider. I hope that my story made you think and craft a bit, and if you enjoyed it that's just icing on the cake!

* * *

Future Plans

* * *

I am quite busy at the late, but I have resumed working on my League of Legends story - Skullduggery, and have also begun to write another fanfiction for RWBY.

The RWBY fanfic is in the similar universe that my other works - stories like "Unbound", "Tasting Defeat", "Never Go Back", "Last Minute Heroics" and "Consequence" all toy with - a dark grit to the setting and a much more future-focused sort of prophecies. However, this time, we _will_ journey into this future, and begin to peal back and discover what had occurred in our 4-6 year absence...

I hope you'll continue to enjoy my stories as much as I enjoy thinking about them and writing them! Until next time!

Mach out!


End file.
